Ryszard Czarnecki. Corruption charges against PiS politician and his wife

As reported by the National Prosecutor's Office, first accusation “concerns the suspect's invocation of influence in the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the period from April 2019 to October 2023 requesting and then accepting from the rector of Collegium Humanum – Paweł Cz. a financial benefit in the total amount of not less than PLN 92,221 and the personal benefit of Emilia H. unreliable documents certifying completion of postgraduate studies at this university. In return, the suspect undertook to act as an intermediary in obtaining positive decisions, assessments and opinions for the university, including consent to establish a foreign branch (an offence under Art. 228 § 4 and 1 of the Penal Code, Art. 230 § 1 of the Penal Code and others).”

The second accusation refers to “taking actions that could prevent or significantly hinder the determination of the criminal origin of the means of payment in the amount of PLN 92,221” (the crime of money laundering under Article 299 of the Penal Code).”

Suspect “The prosecutor brought two similar charges against Emilia H., assuming that she acted jointly and in agreement with her husband” – added in a statement signed by the spokesman of the National Prosecutor’s Office, Przemysław Nowak.

Czarnecki and his wife “they did not admit to committing the acts they were accused of and provided explanations,” we read.

The suspects face up to 10 years in prison.

After completing the activities, the prosecutor applied non-custodial preventive measures against the suspects in the form of:

– a property guarantee in the amount of PLN 150,000 towards Richard Czarnecki

– a property guarantee in the amount of PLN 50,000 against Emilia H.
– police supervision connected with ban on contact with specific participants in the proceedings.

The spokesman for the National Prosecutor's Office, Przemysław Nowak, also reported that on Thursday “further procedural activities were carried out with Ryszard Czarnecki and his wife, including confrontations with other participants in the preparatory proceedings”.

– I can confirm that the former rector (Paweł C. – ed.) was one of those people who were confronted – a representative of the Katowice prosecutor's office reported in the evening.

Investigators established during the proceedings that Czarnecki “invoked influence against Paweł Cz. in the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the state authorities of Uzbekistan and the local institution responsible for the accreditation of higher education institutions” – we read further in the PK press release.

“The financial benefit was given in such a way that former rector Paweł Cz. fictitiously employed Emilia H. at Collegium Humanum and awarded her a scientific scholarship. These activities were aimed at simulating the legality of the money transfers made. As a result, in the period from January 2022 to October 2023, Emilia H. received a total of PLN 92,221 from Collegium Humanum as alleged remuneration for work. It was also established that as part of the corruption agreement, Paweł Cz., as rector of Collegium Humanum, issued false documents in the form of certificates of completion by Emilia H. of postgraduate studies Executive Master of Business Administration, Master of Business Administration and Master of Laws (LLM), despite the fact that Emilia H. did not actually complete these studies,” according to information from the prosecutor's office.

“The above circumstances were established on the basis of evidence collected in the case in the form of witness statements, suspects' explanations, secured e-mail correspondence, records in the Collegium Humanum electronic system and documentation concerning the suspect Emilia H.,” PK reported.

At approximately 9:30 p.m. Czarnecki himself left the Katowice prosecutor's office building.

– I have a rule that on Thursdays I don't comment on the justice system. What day is it today? – the politician asked journalists. They told him it was Thursday, to which he replied: – That's bad luck.

– I do not plead guilty, I have given an explanation – Czarnecki added after a while, ignoring further questions from journalists.

Already on Wednesday, tvn24.pl investigative journalist Robert Zieliński reported that the arrest of the PiS politician is related to his wife's work for the Collegium Humanum university, and investigators suspect that she did not provide any real services, and in this way the rector paid off the services of an influential politician.

In March 2023, with the arrest by CBA two people on suspicion of accepting financial and personal benefits, the Collegium Humanum scandal broke out. It concerns the trade in diplomas by this non-public university.

READ MORE: What is the Collegium Humanum scandal about?

The university was founded in 2018 in Warsaw. According to media reports, it offered crash courses that allowed one to earn an MBA diploma. Such diplomas allow one to apply for positions on supervisory boards of state-owned companies.

The credibility of documents issued by Collegium Humanum was supposed to be ensured by foreign universities, but it turned out that they did not have the authority to conduct MBA studies. Among the graduates of Collegium Humanum were politicians, presidents and members of the boards of state-owned companies, officers of special services and military commanders.