Czarnecki and his wife were detained on Wednesday as part of an investigation into alleged irregularities at Collegium Humanum, a private tertiary education institution in Poland.
Speaking to Polish state news agency PAP, Czarnecki expressed disbelief at how the authorities handled his arrest, stating: "They could have invited me to the prosecutor's office or come to my apartment. Instead, they created a scene at the airport, disrupting flights and inconveniencing travelers."
Czarnecki, a former MEP for Poland's for right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, insisted that he had not admitted guilt.
"I respect the law and the judiciary, and I am always available for discussions with them," he said. "There is no reason for me to avoid these conversations,"
He also remarked that his arrest was an attempt by the government to distract the public from its economic challenges.
Czarnecki has been suspended from the PiS party amid the ongoing investigation, but he downplayed the significance of this, calling it a political move.
"It's understandable that the party wouldn’t want these issues to reflect poorly on PiS. I’m not surprised by this decision," he commented, saying that he had not yet discussed the suspension with PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński.
Prosecutors have accused Czarnecki of leveraging his influence in the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to secure financial and personal benefits from Collegium Humanum's rector.
The alleged benefits include over PLN 92,000 (around USD 22,000) and falsified postgraduate documents for his wife.
Additionally, Czarnecki is accused of money laundering. His wife faces similar charges, with prosecutors claiming she acted in collaboration with her husband.
Both face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Following their detention, the prosecutor imposed several preventive measures. Czarnecki was released after posting a bail of PLN 150,000 (approximately USD 36,000), while his wife’s bail was set at PLN 50,000 (USD 12,000).
Both are subject to police supervision and are prohibited from contacting specific individuals involved in the case.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, polskieradio24.pl