Police receive PiS MP Romanowski's case files. Authorities are taking action

The Warszawa-Mokotów District Court decided on Monday to temporarily detain PiS MP Marcin Romanowski. Asked when Romanowski might be arrested, prosecutor Piotr Woźniak said it was difficult to predict. "These matters are handled by the police," he added.

TVN24 has learned that the police now have the court’s documents. Officers are working on locating the MP to detain him and bring him to custody.

The former deputy minister of justice did not appear at Monday’s detention hearing. His lawyer, Bartosz Lewandowski, stated that Romanowski had undergone a "very serious operation."

Woźniak noted that "the court did not agree with the defense's arguments that the suspect's health condition prevents him from being held in pre-trial detention altogether." However, he added that the court recommended placing Romanowski in a detention facility equipped with a hospital in case of arrest.

Asked which detention center the politician might be sent to, Woźniak replied that it would be the one closest to where he is apprehended. He added that the exact facility would depend on medical examinations to determine the specific care the suspect requires.

A fellow PiS MP, Janusz Kowalski, posted a photo of his Romanowski on Monday, calling him "a political prisoner" and accusing the prime minister and the minister of justice of putting his colleague's life at risk.

"MP Marcin Romanowski, following a serious operation and suffering from hemorrhaging. Tusk and Bodnar bear full responsibility for the life of MP Romanowski, who will become their next political prisoner," Kowalski wrote.

The National Prosecutor's Office accuses Romanowski of committing 11 crimes, including participation in an organized criminal group and manipulating competitions for funds from the Justice Fund. These crimes allegedly involved directing subordinate employees to select entities that should win the competitions for grants from the Justice Fund.

Romanowski is also accused of instructing the correction of incorrect offers before their submission and allowing grants to be awarded to entities that did not meet formal and material requirements. The charges also involve embezzling funds totaling over 107 million zlotys and attempting to embezzle over 58 million zlotys.

Since February, the National Prosecutor's Office has been conducting a comprehensive investigation into the Justice Fund. They argue that Romanowski's detention is necessary due to the legitimate fear of him obstructing the investigation, including coordinating with others to alter the content of statements and testimonies, as well as destroying or concealing evidence.

According to prosecutor Piotr Woźniak, Romanowski coordinated with other co-accused individuals, including Urszula D., Karolina K., and Tomasz M., to destroy evidence that could potentially reach law enforcement and judicial authorities. Additionally, he allegedly collaborated with others to establish false statements for the investigation.

Other reasons for applying temporary detention are the severe sentence Romanowski faces - up to 25 years in prison - and the high likelihood of the alleged crimes having been committed.