Speaking at a press conference in Poland's parliament on Wednesday, Motyka said that “Polish sport is being tarnished by the fact that the head of the Polish Olympic Committee is a man facing very serious allegations.”
He argued that Piesiewicz should not only step down but “should never have held this position.”
Motyka added that international bodies, including the International Olympic Committee, as well as athletes, “feel embarrassed and tainted” by Piesiewicz’s continued leadership.
PSL MP Ireneusz Raś, also present at the conference, referred to the Zondacrypto cryptocurrency exchange. He said that at a time when Poland urgently needs to regulate the crypto market, Piesiewicz “used the image of Polish champions to build the authority and credibility of this financial pyramid.”
Raś claimed the Zondacrypto scandal has resulted in “thousands of family tragedies.”
He appealed to what he called “Piesiewicz’s promoters” to acknowledge their mistake and withdraw their support.
PSL politicians also announced the launch of a website featuring a “Piesiewicz shame counter,” counting from the moment of his arrest.
Zondacrypto was introduced as the general sponsor of the Polish Olympic Committee on October 22, 2025, during a joint press conference in Monaco with CEO Przemysław Kral and Piesiewicz.
They announced that medal bonuses for the upcoming Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo would be doubled compared to 2024, with payments split between cash and tokens. The sponsorship agreement was intended to run until the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
In April, Piesiewicz warned that if the next installment of funds did not arrive by the end of the month, the Committee would terminate the contract. On April 30, the decision was made to remove the sponsor’s neon sign from the Committee’s headquarters in Warsaw.
Last week, Piesiewicz was arrested in connection with the Zondacrypto case, investigated since April by the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Katowice. The probe concerns large‑scale fraud and money laundering. Prosecutors accuse Piesiewicz of exerting influence and favoring certain Zondacrypto creditors over others amid the company’s looming insolvency.
Piesiewicz, who consents to the use of his full name, denies the charges. At the prosecutor’s request, a court ordered his three‑month detention.
He has led the Polish Olympic Committee since April 2023, and his term runs until spring next year.
(pu)
Source: PAP