Officers from the Anti-Corruption Division of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Gorzów Wielkopolski have detained the supervising examiner of the Provincial Road Traffic Centre (WORD) in Zielona Góra. The operation was carried out as part of an investigation into suspected corruption involving state driving licence examinations. The detainee is reportedly Roman U. – a ministry expert and a vocal opponent of changes to the current examination system. “Don’t overturn the table we’re all sitting at,” he urged in the past.
The case was reported by the industry portal brd24.pl, which says that police searched both the WORD headquarters and the suspect’s home, securing documents and other materials that could be relevant to the investigation. According to unofficial information, prosecutors are considering asking the court to place him in pre-trial detention.
Ministry expert
For many years, Roman U. was closely involved in Poland’s driver examination system. As a supervising examiner, he was responsible for overseeing the work of other examiners and monitoring the conduct of state driving tests. At the same time, he held broader responsibilities – he was a member of a commission operating under the Ministry of Infrastructure that verified and recommended questions used in the theoretical driving licence exam. He also served on a commission appointed by the Lubusz Voivode to assess candidates seeking to become driving instructors and driving theory lecturers.
Within the driver training community, Roman U. was well known for his public statements defending the current examination system. He repeatedly argued that Poland’s low pass rate was not a problem, claiming instead that it reflected the high standards expected of future drivers. He criticised proposals aimed at making it easier to obtain a driving licence, arguing that such changes could negatively affect road safety. He also opposed reforms to the examination questions and called for the current testing model to remain in place.
“The fundamental question is whether a 33% nationwide pass rate is satisfactory. In my opinion, YES,” he wrote in March 2026 on the website prawodrogowe.pl.
U. argued that experienced examiners are able to assess a candidate’s level of preparation within just a few minutes, and that for those lacking the required skills, failing the test is merely a matter of time. He also spoke critically of driving instructors who had called for changes to the system.
What happens next in the investigation
The District Prosecutor’s Office in Zielona Góra has so far declined to disclose details of the case, citing the interests of the ongoing investigation. It remains unknown how many examinations are covered by the allegations or what financial benefits may have been involved in the suspected offences. It has also not been confirmed whether the investigation extends to other individuals connected with the WORD or to intermediaries.
As brd24.pl notes, “the history of similar corruption scandals shows that such cases rarely involve only one person.” “Someone has to put the candidate in touch with the right person, communicate the terms, arrange the examination date, and sometimes also collect or hand over the money. Such a mechanism requires at least someone willing to buy a passing result. In more extensive schemes, intermediaries and people facilitating contact with the examiner also appear,” the industry portal explains.