Prosecution again motions for EAW for Polish ex-deputy justice minister
A new application for a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) against Marcin Romanowski, a former Polish deputy justice minister in the Law and Justice (PiS) government, has been field with a court, the justice minister has said.
"The motion was filed today," Waldemar Zurek, who is also prosecutor general, told reporters on Monday.
On December 19, a district court in Warsaw cancelled the EAW issued for Romanowski who is suspected of committing 11 crimes, including involvement in an organised criminal group accused of embezzling PLN 107 million (EUR 25.3 mln) from the justice ministry's special-purpose reserve for crime victims.
Zurek described the court's decision as "a shocking thing," since the court neither had case files nor had it informed the prosecution about its meeting.
"The court had suddenly cancelled the EAW, without case files. This is an unprecedented thing," Zurek said.
After he fled Poland, Romanowski secured political asylum in Hungary on December 19 last year, which caused tensions between the two countries. A day later, Poland informed Budapest about the EAW against him.
Bartosz Lewandowski, Romanowski's defence lawyer, said on December 19 that "the District Court in Warsaw has approved my request and lifted the European Arrest Warrant issued for MP Romanowski."
Lewandowski added that "now, Romanowski can freely travel within the European Union and can no longer be prosecuted outside of Poland."
He also recalled that Interpol had earlier refused to issue a red notice for Romanowski.
The lawyer told PAP that the court had shared his opinion, according to which, an inquiry into Romanowski's case had been marked by "illegal political pressure."
In February, the Sejm, lower house of Polish parliament, lifted Romanowski's parliamentary immunity and approved his arrest. In May, the Warsaw District Court dismissed an appeal by Romanowski's defence against its decision to arrest him. (PAP)
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