Marian B., former head of Poland’s Supreme Audit Office (NIK), has been formally charged in a long-running investigation overseen by the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Białystok.
Marian B.Photo: Filip Naumienko/REPORTER/EAST NEWS
According to prosecutors, Marian B. is accused of attempting to induce officials from Poland’s National Revenue Administration (KAS) to disclose confidential tax information to unauthorized persons. This marks the first formal charges against him in an investigation that has been ongoing for several years and also involves his son in separate cases.
Prosecutors in Białystok, eastern Poland, outlined three alleged offences: two instances of inciting the disclosure of protected tax information, and one instance of inciting a public official to exceed their powers or neglect duties, allegedly for personal or financial gain. No preventive measures have been applied, and prosecutors have not disclosed further details of the alleged offences.
In a statement posted on social media, Marian B. denied wrongdoing, describing the charges as politically motivated.
“I have seen the allegations and I deny them. This is the result of a political campaign by the previous government. I have already provided my explanations and will defend my reputation and that of my family,” he wrote.
Charges brought against former Polish audit office chief
The investigation, which began in 2019, initially focused on alleged false asset declarations by Marian B. and undeclared income from rental of a property in Kraków, southern Poland.
In July 2021, in a related part of the case, prosecutors charged his son, Jakub B., his wife Agnieszka, and the then-director of the Kraków Tax Office, Tadeusz G., over alleged fraud and tax offences.
Tadeusz G. was also accused of repeatedly disclosing confidential tax information to Marian B. He reportedly admitted to unlawfully sharing details of a tax audit and Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA) investigations.
Earlier attempts to lift Marian B.’s parliamentary immunity in 2019 were positively recommended by the Sejm’s regulatory committee but were never brought to a plenary vote.
In 2024, the then-Prosecutor General Adam Bodnar withdrew the motion, transferring the case to the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Białystok to supplement evidence before any renewed request. The current charges were filed after Marian B. no longer held the immunity associated with his office.
To date, no part of this multi-threaded investigation has resulted in a formal indictment.
(mp)
Source: IAR/PAP/X/@marian_banas
Radio Poland
