The National Prosecutor’s Office has announced further charges of corruption and fraud in the investigation into the activities of Collegium Humanum. This time, charges were brought by a prosecutor from the Silesian department of the National Prosecutor’s Office against Jacek S., Marian D., Katarzyna J., Michał J., and Karol K. The case also saw charges related to claiming influence in state institutions.
Arrests and charges
The arrests of Jacek S., Marian D., Katarzyna J., and Michał J. were necessary due to their involvement in the crimes charged and fears of subterfuge. The arrests made it possible to confront the suspects, exposing contradictions in their explanations.
Details of the charges:
- Jacek S.: He was charged with four offences, including corruption and fraud. He is accused of handing over a financial benefit worth 75,000 PLN to the former rector of Collegium Humanum, Paweł Cz., in exchange for an EMBA diploma without actually completing the course. Additionally, using a fake document, Jacek S. received a salary on the supervisory boards of three municipal companies amounting to 230,000 PLN.
- Marian D.: Participated in providing a financial benefit to Paweł Cz., and issued fake diplomas to other people, receiving financial benefits in return. He faces six additional charges.
- Katarzyna and Michał J.: The couple received 30 and 22 charges, respectively. These charges concerned issuing fake documents verifying the completion of postgraduate EMBA, DBA, and LL.D. studies in exchange for financial benefits.
- Karol K.: The former MEP is accused of claiming influence in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get positive opinions for Collegium Humanum branches in Bratislava, Prague, and Andijan. In return, he accepted benefits in the form of payment for electoral billboards and a poll report, totaling over 36,000 PLN.
Preventive measures
After being presented with the charges, the suspects did not admit guilt. The prosecutor applied various preventative measures against them:
- Katarzyna and Michał J.: The prosecutor requested their temporary detention.
- Jacek S.: A financial guarantee of 200,000 PLN and police supervision was applied.
- Marian D.: A financial guarantee of 100,000 PLN and police supervision.
- Karol K.: A financial guarantee of 50,000 PLN, police supervision, and a ban on contact with the participants of the proceeding.
Scale of the investigation
So far, 55 suspects have been charged in the Collegium Humanum case, including charges of corruption, forgery of documents, and fraud. A total of 196 charges have been brought, highlighting the immense scale of malpractice in the activities of this former university.
The National Prosecutor’s Office continues the investigation, which is one of the largest corruption inquiries in the Polish education sector.
Source: https://managerplus.pl/afera-korupcyjna-w-collegium-humanum-zarzuty-dla-pieciu-kolejnych-osob-24511
