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Former Polish presidential spokesman charged in diploma fraud case

07.02.2025 12:40
Polish prosecutors have charged Błażej Spychalski with corruption in a broader investigation into diploma fraud at Collegium Humanum.
Błażej Spychalski speaks to the media after his hearing at the Regional Division of the National Prosecutors Office following his detention by the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau over alleged irregularities at Collegium Humanum, Katowice, Poland  Feb. 6, 2025.
Błażej Spychalski speaks to the media after his hearing at the Regional Division of the National Prosecutor’s Office following his detention by the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau over alleged irregularities at Collegium Humanum, Katowice, Poland – Feb. 6, 2025.Photo: PAP/Jarek Praszkiewicz

Błażej Spychalski, former spokesperson for President Andrzej Duda, has been charged with four counts of corruption by Polish prosecutors as part of an investigation into irregularities at Collegium Humanum, a university known for granting MBA diplomas to numerous politicians.

The case, which involves the use of falsified documents and fraud linked to the university’s operations, is part of a broader investigation into corruption and diploma fraud at Collegium Humanum.

Spychalski is accused of giving financial and personal benefits to Collegium Humanum’s former rector, Paweł Cz., and promising additional favors in exchange for MBA diplomas for himself and his wife.

In return, Paweł Cz. was allegedly offered support for his candidacy to the National Development Council under the president and assistance in obtaining a state award.

Spychalski is also suspected of using his illegally obtained diploma while seeking employment at Orlen, Poland’s largest oil and gas company and one of the biggest in Central and Eastern Europe.

Prosecutors have imposed financial bail conditions - 100,000 PLN ($24,760) for Spychalski and 40,000 PLN ($9,910) for his wife - along with police supervision and restrictions on contacting certain individuals.

“Błażej Spychalski is a prominent PiS political figure who sought to boost his credentials by purchasing a diploma from Collegium Humanum and profited from it,” said MP Tomasz Szymański, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration, in an interview with Polish Radio.

Source: IAR/PR24/X/@TSzymanski/@PR24_pl

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