The fund – originally intended to help victims, witnesses, and rehabilitated offenders – has become the focus of allegations involving misuse of public money by officials.
Who is Kaczyński of PiS?
Jarosław Kaczyński is the longtime chairman of Law and Justice (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość), a right-wing populist party that led Poland’s government from 2015 to 2023.
Known for its national-conservative stance, PiS has pushed through judicial reforms widely criticized for undermining the independence of courts. The party’s policies have also included tightening abortion laws and expanding social benefits aimed at families and seniors. Critics accuse PiS of using state institutions to consolidate power and marginalize opposition.
The Justice Fund at the center of the probe
Established in 1997, the Justice Fund (Fundusz Sprawiedliwości) was designed to offer financial support to victims and witnesses of crimes, as well as to former inmates reintegrating into society.
In 2017, its scope broadened to include prevention of criminal activity. Financed largely by court-ordered fines, the fund dispenses hundreds of millions of Polish złotys per year in grants and assistance. Opponents charge that in recent years, officials linked to PiS used the fund for questionable or politically motivated outlays, diverting resources from its stated mission.
- Prosecutors claim to have collected 1,200 volumes of evidence, questioned hundreds of witnesses, and indicted over 20 individuals.
- Former deputy ministers Marcin Romanowski and Michał Woś – both associated with PiS – were stripped of their parliamentary immunity.
- Another ex-deputy minister, Dariusz Matecki, waived his immunity before being arrested.
Błaszczak summoned in classified documents case
Separately, prosecutors intend to question Mariusz Błaszczak – a former defense minister and current parliamentary leader for PiS – over allegedly disclosing secret military plans, code-named “Warta,” during the 2023 election campaign.
Błaszczak argues he had the right to release the 2011 defense document, but Poland’s Military Counterintelligence Service (SKW) contends he bypassed standard declassification protocols.
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Source: IAR, TVN24, Radio Poland