Romanowski, a right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) lawmaker, is accused of taking part in an organised criminal group and rigging competitions for money from the Justice Fund, a state scheme for crime victims.
A European arrest warrant and a wanted notice have been issued for him.
Romanowski obtained political asylum in Hungary in December 2024, but Budapest revoked his refugee status and cancelled his travel documents earlier this year, after a change of government.
Safe conduct would allow him to return to Poland and remain free while the case proceeds, provided he complies with conditions imposed by the court.
Prosecutors challenge Romanowski's eligibility for safe conduct
The Warsaw Regional Court granted Romanowski a letter of safe conduct last Wednesday.
Once the ruling becomes final, any pre-trial detention is also lifted.
On Tuesday, prosecutors appealed against the decision, asking to refuse the former minister's request or send the case back for reconsideration.
They argue the court wrongly concluded that Romanowski no longer posed a real risk of unlawfully obstructing the proceedings, pointing to his flight from Poland to Hungary and his use of a document issued in another person's name.
They also say it has not been sufficiently shown that he is abroad, a condition for safe conduct.
Romanowski said in his application that he was in Transnistria, a Russian-backed breakaway region of Moldova, but prosecutors claim there is no confirmation that he crossed the border and that his whereabouts are unknown.
Prosecutors also argued that their objection, filed in mid-August, prevented the court from granting safe conduct.
Under Polish law, judges generally require prosecutor approval before issuing such an order.
However, the court rejected that argumentation.
Court spokeswoman Judge Anna Ptaszek said last week that giving prosecutors veto power over court decisions violates both the Polish constitution and international law, adding that judges were not bound by the rule.
The court also noted that despite domestic and international arrest warrants active since December 2024, law enforcement had been unable to detain Romanowski, leaving the investigation at a standstill.
His lawyer, Bartosz Lewandowski, declined last week to say where Romanowski is, but added there was no doubt he would come to Poland if the ruling became final.
Meanwhile, legal experts have argued that granting a letter of safe conduct could allow the fugitive MP to return to the country and face pending charges, unblocking a stalled investigation that an ineffective arrest warrant failed to advance.
(ał)
Source: PAP