Romanowski, a former deputy justice minister, faces a three-month pretrial detention in Poland on charges of corruption, following an extensive investigation into the alleged misuse of public funds under the country's previous right-wing administration.
A senior Hungarian government official said on Thursday that Romanowski has been granted asylum because he fears he would not be given a fair trial in Poland, according to media reports.
The move has drawn sharp criticism from Warsaw, with Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski describing Hungary’s decision as a "hostile act."
"The decision by Viktor Orbán's government to grant political asylum to Marcin Romanowski, who is suspected of criminal offences and subject to a European Arrest Warrant, is regarded as a hostile act toward Poland and the principles of the European Union,” Sikorski wrote in a post on X on Thursday.
"We will announce our decisions tomorrow," he added.
Polish authorities have been pursuing Romanowski since last week, following a court’s approval of a request from prosecutors to place him in pretrial detention.
After police were unable to locate him, a domestic arrest warrant was issued. Days of unsuccessful searches led prosecutors to request a European arrest warrant, which was approved on Thursday.
Romanowski's lawyer, Bartosz Lewandowski, subsequently announced that Hungary had granted his client international protection, arguing that the charges were "politically motivated."
According to Lewandowski, Romanowski fears he cannot expect a fair trial in Poland due to the alleged political biases of certain judges.
Gergely Gulyás, chief of staff to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, said that Romanowski, a member of the previously governing Law and Justice (PiS) party, had sought asylum in Hungary and was granted it "in accordance with Hungarian and EU law."
A Warsaw district court ruled earlier this month to detain Romanowski for three months in connection with an investigation into alleged financial irregularities involving Poland's Justice Fund.
The charges against Romanowski include participation in organized crime and manipulating official tenders.
The prosecutor leading the case, Piotr Woźniak, has 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 offences.
Romanowski and PiS officials have dismissed the case as politically motivated. In public statements, they have described it as a "political vendetta" and an attempt to undermine their party.
(gs)
Sources: IAR, PAP