The Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA) acted on prosecutors' orders in detaining the men, named as Maciej Ś. and Cezary J., over their roles at the Polish National Foundation (PFN).
The organization was set up in 2016 under the the previous government of Law and Justice (PiS) to promote Poland's image abroad and support its economy.
According to the Polish Press Agency (PAP), one of the detainees – Maciej Ś. – is a former chairman of the country's broadcasting regulator.
Tomasz Siemoniak, the minister who oversees Poland's special services, said the men had approved the foundation's funds for a 2017 media campaign called "Fair Courts."
He said the initiative served the political interests of PiS and was designed to discredit independent judges.
Siemoniak put the financial damage at no less than PLN 8.4 million (EUR 2 million), and said the reputational harm was incalculable.
A spokesman for the minister, Jacek Dobrzyński, said the men would be taken to prosecutors in the south-eastern city of Rzeszów once searches and evidence-gathering were finished.
One was detained in Warsaw, the other in the north-eastern Podlaskie region.
Asked whether the case was politically motivated, Dobrzyński dismissed the idea, calling such speculation "complete nonsense."
The foundation previously faced criticism over the murky purchase – and later sale – of a yacht bought for EUR 900,000 in 2018.
It refused to let auditors examine its accounts, arguing it did not manage public money.
Prosecutors opened an investigation into PFN's spending in June 2024.
It was funded by 16 state-controlled firms, including energy giant PGE, oil refiner Orlen and the national railway operator, which agreed to contribute a combined PLN 45.5 million (EUR 10.5 million) over ten years.
According to Poland's state auditor (NIK), the companies failed to properly oversee the foundation's finances.
(ał)
Source: PAP