The disciplinary officer of the Łódź Bar Association in central Poland has opened a probe into Paweł Kozanecki, a lawyer sentenced to 18 months in prison over a 2021 crash in which two women died.
Paulina Tomaszewska-Lipartowska, dean of the Regional Bar Council in Łódź, said the move followed reports that a wanted notice had been issued for Kozanecki and that he had failed to begin serving his sentence.
She said the disciplinary officer issued a decision to open the investigation on Monday.
Kozanecki has been suspended from professional duties since January 1, 2024, and is already subject to separate disciplinary proceedings.
Kozanecki was given a final sentence in March by the Olsztyn Regional Court. He was convicted of causing a fatal road accident in September 2021 on the Barczewo-Jeziorany road in northeastern Poland.
According to prosecutors, Kozanecki was driving a Mercedes when he broke traffic rules, crossed a double solid line and entered the opposite lane, where his car collided with an Audi 80. The driver and passenger of the Audi died at the scene.
'Coffin on wheels'
The case drew wide public attention after Kozanecki posted a video online soon after the crash. In it, he said the accident had been a collision between a safe car and a “coffin on wheels,” adding that this was among the reasons the women had died. The comment caused public outrage.
In mid-March, the Olsztyn District Court ordered police to take Kozanecki to prison. Officers were unable to do so because he was not at his home. In April, the court issued a wanted notice, which was later published by the Łódź police.
Tomaszewska-Lipartowska said the Łódź Bar authorities were monitoring the case. She added that, following reports about unpaid financial obligations to the victims’ relatives, she had asked Kozanecki in writing to explain his position.
“No response has been received to date,” she wrote.
Kozanecki’s lawyer, Kosma Bogdanowicz, said in a statement to public Radio Łódź that his client remained in contact with the court and intended to serve the sentence.
He said Kozanecki was seeking “a rational view of his legal situation” from the penitentiary court, which handles matters connected with serving prison sentences.
Bogdanowicz also criticised delays in the case. He said the court had yet to rule on three defence motions to suspend enforcement of the sentence, filed on April 1, 2 and 9, and had not scheduled a hearing on Kozanecki’s request to serve the sentence under electronic monitoring.
Electronic monitoring allows some convicted people in Poland to serve prison sentences outside prison, usually at home, under strict court-imposed conditions.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP