Polish former MEP and his wife charged with corruption and quid pro quo

On September 13, 2024, news from Warsaw. Prosecutors in southern Poland have charged former European Parliament member Ryszard Czarnecki and his wife with corruption and engaging in quid pro quo. This is part of a large-scale investigation into irregularities in the operation of a private university in Warsaw.

Ryszard Czarnecki was once an important member of Poland's former ruling conservative party Law and Justice. The current government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk is looking into alleged mismanagement and other issues of the previous government. Katowice prosecutor Tomasz Tadra said Czarnecki and his wife received about 92,000 zlotys ($23,000) from the Humanities College. In return, they promised to use Czarnecki's political connections to help the university open branches abroad (mainly in Uzbekistan). The fund transfer was disguised as payment for Czarnecki's wife's fictional job at the university. The two denied any wrongdoing after being detained on Wednesday and have been released on bail.

Several parliamentary investigation committees and investigations have been launched to target alleged abuse of power, misappropriation of public funds and corruption by the previous government, including an investigation into the Humanities College. The college is accused of issuing fake MBA diplomas in exchange for bribes. Currently, nearly 50 suspects have been identified in the investigation, and some people have been prosecuted. If Czarnecki and his wife are convicted, they may face up to 10 years in prison. Czarnecki served as a member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2019 and was also a vice president of the European Parliament, but lost the position in 2018 due to allegations of travel expense reimbursement fraud.