The case, which centers on allegations that degrees were issued without real study, has been sent to the district court in the southern city of Katowice.
Prosecutors say those charged include the mayor of Wrocław in the country's southwest, former members of the European Parliament, senior fire service officers, university rectors, professors and lecturers.
According to prosecutor Katarzyna Calów-Jaszewska of the National Public Prosecutor’s Office, the 623-page indictment "covers a total of 67 crimes, mainly corruption offences, as well as certifying false information in documentation confirming the course of studies at Collegium Humanum, fraud and money laundering."
The investigation began after Poland’s Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA) passed on information suggesting that Collegium Humanum had issued fake graduation certificates.
Searches at the university allegedly showed a wide-ranging scheme involving not only postgraduate Executive MBA diplomas but also bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Prosecutors say the operation relied on cooperation between the former rector, staff and around 30 outside “recruiters” with strong connections and prominent social positions, who brought in clients seeking diplomas that did not reflect real study.
One part of the indictment focuses on the Polish Accreditation Committee, the state body that evaluates the quality of higher education.
Prosecutors say Artur G., a former senior official there, is accused of invoking his influence inside the committee and taking more than PLN 900,000 (EUR 210,000) from Collegium Humanum in exchange for favorable decisions, including approval for new faculties and branches.
He is also alleged to have accepted more than PLN 2 million from representatives of 10 other private tertiary institutions in return for positive accreditation decisions.
The most prominent political figure in the case is Wrocław Mayor Jacek Sutryk, who faces four charges, three related to fraud and one to corruption.
According to the indictment, he received a postgraduate diploma in June 2020 without actually having taken part in any classes, while the then rector, identified as Paweł Cz., obtained a paid advisory role at the Wrocław Technology Park.
Investigators allege Sutryk later used his MBA diploma to claim qualifications for seats on the supervisory boards of three municipal companies, earning more than PLN 495,000 in fees that prosecutors describe as undue income.
After questioning, the mayor said he does not admit guilt.
Former MEP Karol K. is accused of trading on supposed influence at the foreign ministry to help Collegium Humanum obtain favorable opinions for branches in Prague, Bratislava and Uzbekistan.
Prosecutors say he received benefits in the form of paid opinion polling and election billboards. He has called the charge "completely untrue."
Another former MEP, Ryszard C., and his wife Emilia H. are charged with invoking influence at the science and foreign ministries and taking at least PLN 92,000 and personal benefits from the university.
The couple allegedly secured fake postgraduate diplomas for Emilia H. and a paid position that prosecutors describe as fictitious, then tried to disguise the money as a research scholarship.
Ryszard C. also denies wrongdoing.
The indictment also covers former commanders of the State Fire Service in a separate strand of the case.
Prosecutors say an agreement between Collegium Humanum, the Main School of Fire Service in Warsaw and the State Fire Service led to public money being used for postgraduate Executive MBA studies, while several officers received diplomas that did not reflect real study.
In another thread, businessman Błażej S. is accused of obtaining two unreliable MBA diplomas for himself and a diploma for his wife and then using them in recruitment for state-linked companies, including the fuel group Orlen and a military technology firm.
Part of the benefit he allegedly offered the former rector was support for a seat on the presidential National Development Council, and help in seeking a state honor.
Prosecutors say some of those charged have admitted to parts of the accusations.
The wider investigation into Collegium Humanum is still in progress, with 389 alleged offences, assets worth PLN 176 million frozen, and 78 people so far named as suspects.
Founded in Warsaw in 2018, Collegium Humanum attracted attention for offering fast-track MBA and postgraduate degrees, often in cooperation with unaccredited foreign institutions.
The school rebranded as the "Varsovia School of Business and Applied Sciences" in mid-2024.
Collegium Humanum last year rebranded as the "Varsovia School of Business and Applied Sciences." Photo: Panek, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP