UPDATE: Michał K. refuses extradition, remains in custody
On Tuesday, Michał K., the former head of the Government Strategic Reserves Agency (RARS), will appear before the Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London for a preliminary hearing related to his case.
According to TVN24, citing its London correspondent Maciej Woroch, Michał K. was arrested on Monday afternoon at his rented apartment and taken directly to custody.
The arrest of Michał K., who was wanted under an international arrest warrant issued by the Warsaw District Court, followed a European Arrest Warrant and a warrant covering the United Kingdom.
Extradition of Michał K. could take 10 days, trial possible if he objects
Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak confirmed to TVN24 that the arrest operation was a result of cooperation between Polish and British authorities.
If Michał K. agrees to extradition, the process could take around 10 days. Otherwise, a court trial will begin, which may be considerably longer.
Przemysław Nowak, spokesperson for the Prosecutor's Office, told Polish Radio that the extradition process might not be swift, as it depends solely on British court decisions.
He explained that initially a decision will be made on whether Michał K. will remain in custody during the extradition proceedings. Regardless of this decision, the extradition process will continue, which, although a simplified form of extradition, is more complex than the European Arrest Warrant.
The prosecution is investigating Michał K. for irregularities in his agency and also plans to detain Paweł S., the owner of the company Red is Bad, who received 270 million PLN for supplying power generators to Ukraine. Both men have been implicated by testimonies from Justyna G., the former Director of the Procurement Office at RARS.
Read more about this subject:
Former RARS Chief arrested in London
Source: IAR/PR24/TVN24/X/@PK_GOV_PL
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