CENTRAL ANTI-CORRUPTION BUREAU always in the interest of Poland The Mayor of Częstochowa Arrested - News

On 25 February 2026, officers of the Regional Office of the CBA in Katowice detained Krzysztof M., serving as the Mayor of Częstochowa, in the Silesian Voivodeship. CBA officers searched and secured evidence at the suspect’s residence, at the Częstochowa City Hall, and at the headquarters of two associations based in Częstochowa.

Proceedings concerning the acceptance of financial benefits

Officers of the Regional Office of the CBA in Katowice are conducting a multi-threaded investigation concerning the acceptance of financial benefits by the former Marshal of the Silesian Voivodeship in connection with holding a public office.

The findings of the investigation indicate that between 2018 and 2022, while serving as the Mayor of Częstochowa, Krzysztof M. accepted financial benefits in the form of cash in the amount of at least PLN 40,000. In return, he was to introduce changes to the city’s budget resulting in an increase in funding for renovation and construction investments carried out by a selected entrepreneur.

Furthermore, following additional witnesses reporting to the prosecutor’s office, evidence was gathered allowing the charges against the suspect to be supplemented with a second corruption-related offense consisting of accepting financial benefits from several identified individuals in a total amount of no less than PLN 129,000 in exchange for employing them in local government entities.

Charges and preventive measures

The detainee was brought before the Silesian Branch of the Department for Organized Crime and Corruption of the National Public Prosecutor’s Office in Katowice, where he was charged with accepting financial benefits in connection with holding a public office.

The prosecutor filed a motion with the court for the suspect to be placed in pre-trial detention; however, the motion was not granted. The court indicated that there is a high probability that the suspect committed the alleged acts and that there remains a risk of obstructing the proceedings. The court pointed to the possibility of applying a combination of non-custodial preventive measures.

The prosecutor imposed preventive measures on the suspect in the form of bail, a ban on leaving the country, police supervision combined with a prohibition on contacting co-suspects and witnesses, and suspended the suspect from performing his official duties as the Mayor of Częstochowa.

The case is ongoing

This is another operational action within the ongoing preparatory proceedings. In total, there are 20 suspects in the entire investigation, who have been presented with several dozen charges related to accepting and granting financial benefits to persons holding public office, as well as laundering money derived from criminal activity.

CBA reminds of the non-punishment clause

Pursuant to Article 229 § 6 of the Criminal Code, a perpetrator of the offense of granting a financial or personal benefit to a person holding a public office shall not be subject to punishment if the benefit or its promise has been accepted and the perpetrator notifies the authority appointed to prosecute criminal offenses and discloses all relevant circumstances of the offense before the authority becomes aware of it.

Anyone who possesses information regarding this criminal activity may contact the Regional Office of the CBA in Katowice, at 1 Maja 123, 40-235 Katowice.

CBA Press Team