A Polish parliamentary committee has voted to lift the immunity of former justice minister and Law and Justice (PiS) MP Zbigniew Ziobro, allowing prosecutors to press 26 criminal charges against him – including leading an organised crime group – over alleged misuse of the Justice Fund. The panel also backed prosecutors’ requests for Ziobro’s detention and temporary arrest.
The case will now go before the full Sejm (lower house), which is expected to take a vote on the issue on Friday evening.
Committee chair Jaroslaw Urbaniak of the ruling Civic Coalition (KO) confirmed the decision after a closed vote on Thursday evening.
Prosecutor Piotr Wo’zniak, who leads the investigation, told lawmakers that Ziobro is accused of directing the Justice Fund’s resources to favoured organisations and approving unlawful grants, including PLN 25 million (EUR 5.8 million) for the secret service to buy Pegasus spyware and PLN 14 million (EUR 3.3 million) for renovating the National Prosecutor’s Office.
He said the evidence includes witness testimony, emails and recorded conversations.
Wo’zniak also cited concerns that Ziobro might try to intimidate witnesses, noting his “disrespectful attitude” toward the parliamentary Pegasus inquiry and alleged threats to prosecutors and judges.
According to investigators, Ziobro acted deliberately to obtain financial, personal and political benefits, to the detriment of the state.
Ziobro, who did not attend the committee hearing, has dismissed the charges as “false, absurd and politically motivated.”
Speaking from Budapest earlier on Thursday, he accused the government of conducting a witch hunt.
PiS lawmakers defended Ziobro, claiming his actions as justice minister were legal and based on existing regulations.
MP Andrzej ‘Sliwka called the proceedings a “political show trial,” while other PiS members argued that changes to the fund’s rules were introduced only after the current government took power.
Prosecutors have said there are no medical grounds preventing Ziobro’s detention, despite his allies’ claims of serious illness.
If convicted on all counts, he could face up to 25 years in prison. Ziobro Accuses Żurko of Breaking the Law.
Former justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro said he will lodge a complaint with the prosecutor’s office against Law and Justice MP Waldemar Żurko and associates. He claims that the request to lift his parliamentary immunity was disclosed to the media before MPs received it, violating parliamentary procedure and revealing confidential investigative information.
Ziobro has called the disclosure “intentional wrongdoing” that could lead to a 10‑year prison sentence. He alleges the prosecution’s actions are a politically motivated retaliation, describing them as “revenge through an illegally seized prosecutor’s office.”