Anti-corruption officers enter Lux Veritatis facilities

The information obtained by tvn24.pl was confirmed on Thursday (December 5) during a press conference by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration, Jacek Dobrzyński.

"CBA agents, under the directive of the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Rzeszów, visited several properties belonging to the Lux Veritatis Foundation today. They are securing documents and electronic data carriers as part of an ongoing investigation," he explained to reporters.

"This is part of an investigation into irregularities, including alleged abuse of power by the former minister of culture and national heritage," Dobrzyński added. He clarified that CBA agents awere present at multiple locations, including Wrocław, Warsaw, and Toruń.

In early November, the Supreme Audit Office (NIK) announced an investigation requested by the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Rzeszów. The audit, conducted at the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, focuses on a possible abuse of power on June 20, 2018, by the then-minister of culture in connection with an agreement with Lux Veritatis to establish the cultural institution known as the "Memory and Identity" Museum dedicated to St. John Paul II.

The project was allocated a total of 294 million zlotys from public funds, with 218.9 million intended for it from a targeted governmental fund.

The "Memory and Identity" Museum in Toruń is associated with Father Tadeusz Rydzyk. It was established in June 2018 under an agreement signed between the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Culture, and the Lux Veritatis Foundation. Founded in 1998 by Redemptorists Father Jan Król and Father Tadeusz Rydzyk, Lux Veritatis also operates the Catholic broadcaster TV Trwam, with Rydzyk at its helm.

In June 2018, the then-Minister of Culture Piotr Gliński signed an agreement with Lux Veritatis to create the museum. The agreement was valid until December 31, 2023, and the museum officially opened on October 19, 2023.

"Father Tadeusz Rydzyk is the founder, chairman of the board, and one of the ultimate beneficiaries of the foundation," explained Hanna Wróblewska, the current Minister of Culture, during a parliamentary committee meeting in October.

She added that the agreement obligated both parties to provide financial and material resources for the museum. "According to the agreement, Tadeusz Rydzyk pledged to transfer, free of charge, land for the museum's use by December 31, 2022. This land consisted of plots on which the museum was to be built," she said.

The land initially belonged to the Redemptorists based in Warsaw. It was transferred to Lux Veritatis two months after the agreement via donation deeds dated August 24, 2018. Additionally, Lux Veritatis committed to donating architectural designs, construction plans, and other documentation valued at 2.5 million zlotys.

Father Rydzyk also pledged to transfer historical collections to the museum, including audiovisual recordings and archival materials related to Poles murdered for aiding Jews during World War II, collectively valued at 88 million zlotys.

The Ministry of Culture was responsible for covering the museum’s construction costs, with annual grants matching the investment's value. The agreement stipulated that if both parties agreed on the museum's future by May 31, 2023, Lux Veritatis could continue operating it independently. In such a case, the foundation would not be required to return any public funds, provided the museum remained operational for at least 10 years.

In January, then-Minister of Culture Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz refused to allocate an additional 13 million zlotys for 2024, citing limited investment resources in the 2024 state budget.

On January 8, the Ministry of Justice announced the suspension of payments from the Justice Fund. Lux Veritatis was among the beneficiaries affected, losing nearly 7.2 million zlotys allocated through 2026.

During the election campaign, the current ruling coalition parties promised greater scrutiny of public funds allocated to projects linked to Father Tadeusz Rydzyk. Over the past eight years, at least 380 million zlotys in public funds were funneled to Toruń from various government institutions.