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Onet exposes PiS politician accused of large-scale fraud in another media scandal

03.12.2025 15:50
Marcin Romanowski, a former Polish deputy justice minister from the previous right-wing, populist PiS government, instructed officials to run a large-scale media campaign promoting the public victims’ fund he once oversaw, Polish news outlet Onet.pl revealed on Wednesday.
Onet reveals that Marcin Romanowski, a deputy justice minister from the previous PiS government, now accused of embezzling millions from a public victims fund and currently in exile in Hungary under Orbns Kremlin-friendly administration, instructed officials to run a media campaign defending the funds image amid potential political attacs.
Onet reveals that Marcin Romanowski, a deputy justice minister from the previous PiS government, now accused of embezzling millions from a public victims’ fund and currently in exile in Hungary under Orbán’s Kremlin-friendly administration, instructed officials to run a media campaign defending the fund’s image amid potential political attacs.Photo: PAP/Paweł Supernak

The emails, from December 2019, show Romanowski warning officials that political attacks from Marian Banaś, the former head of Poland’s Supreme Audit Office, could target the fund, and outlining how to highlight its charitable activities, including ambulances, firefighting vehicles, medical equipment, and specialist clinics such as Budzik.

Recipients of these instructions included top fund officials like Tomasz Mraz, Urszula D., and Miłosz Horodyski, who had close ties to then-Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro.

Polecenie wyprodukowania spotu wydał wiceminister Marcin Romanowski. Szczegóły ➡️ https:\/\/dlvr.it/TPbkl0

Opublikowany przez Onet Wiadomości Wtorek, 2 grudnia 2025

TVN24.pl, citing Onet.pl, states that Miłosz Horodyski was considered a “grey eminence” with extensive connections and significant influence within the ministry.

The campaign was designed to shape public perception by showcasing stories of beneficiaries, while later audits would attempt to retroactively justify the fund’s expenditures.

Romanowski is now accused of embezzling millions from the fund and has been living in Hungary for nearly a year, where Orbán’s Kremlin-friendly administration reportedly granted him refuge.

The broader investigation also implicates Zbigniew Ziobro, who faces charges related to orchestrating a criminal group, manipulating grant competitions, and misappropriating public funds over several years.

WP.pl reports on 3 December that Poland’s Parliament Speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty announced the initiation of proceedings to refer Zbigniew Ziobro to the Constitutional Tribunal, with over 115 signatures collected to initiate the case.

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Source: Onet/TVN24/Wp.pl