A Warsaw district court ruled on Monday to detain Romanowski, a member of the previously governing Law and Justice (PiS) party, for three months in connection with an investigation into alleged financial irregularities involving Poland's Justice Fund.
The court dismissed one charge against him due to procedural issues but upheld the most serious accusations, which could lead to a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, state news agency PAP reported.
The ruling is enforceable immediately, although the defense plans to appeal.
Prosecutors have requested police assistance to enforce the detention order, but the timeline for Romanowski’s arrest remains unclear.
The subject of the investigation is examination of the misuse of funds meant for public interest, resulting in financial benefits for certain entities and beneficiaries unrelated to the stated objectives of the fund, officials have said.
The charges against Romanowski include participation in organized crime and manipulating official tenders.
The prosecutor leading the case, Piotr Woźniak, said that Romanowski is suspected of orchestrating the misappropriation of funds to the tune of over PLN 107 million (EUR 25 million, USD 26.5 million), and attempting to embezzle an additional PLN 58 million.
The Justice Fund, a state-run program designed to support victims of crime, was under Romanowski's supervision at the time of the alleged offenses.
Woźniak told reporters that Romanowski is also accused of rigging tenders for multimillion-dollar grants.
The court based its decision on the likelihood of witness tampering and the severity of potential penalties.
Judge Monika Louklinska, who reviewed the case, dismissed defense requests to exclude her from the proceedings.
Romanowski’s lawyer, Bartosz Lewandowski, argued that his client’s recent surgery should preclude detention.
However, the court ordered that Romanowski, if detained, be placed in a facility with medical care.
Lewandowski described the ruling as "deeply unjust," adding that an appeal will be filed promptly.
Romanowski was absent from the hearing due to his health condition. The defense questioned the necessity of detention, claiming there is no evidence linking Romanowski to others who might obstruct the investigation.
The court dropped one of the charges, citing a lack of parliamentary approval for prosecution on that specific count.
Woźniak said the dismissed charge involved the unauthorized appropriation of funds and confirmed plans to address the procedural issue, potentially seeking another parliamentary vote to lift Romanowski’s immunity.
Romanowski and PiS officials have repeatedly dismissed the investigation as politically motivated. In public statements, they described the case as a "political vendetta" and an attempt to undermine their party.
Romanowski's impending detention is part of a broader scrutiny of the former administration's practices, under which prosecutors allege numerous instances of abuse of office and mismanagement of public funds.
(rt/gs)
Sources: IAR, PAP