As a result of extradition from Italy, Andrzej R. arrived in Poland in January, having been sentenced to six years in prison for fraud. According to Gazeta Polska Codziennie, R. is a close acquaintance of the European Parliament member from the Civic Coalition, known for holding the government of Law and Justice accountable. Our sources claim that R. supported his electoral campaign in 2019, lent him cars, financed hotel stays and restaurant visits, and even boasted about being the godfather of the politician’s child.
For several years, Dariusz Joński, a 46-year-old politician from the “Initiative Poland” group within the Civic Coalition, has been notorious for accusing PiS politicians of alleged abuses and scams. He frequently appears at conferences, always alongside Michał Szczerba, a powerful member of the Civic Platform.
Last year, both switched from parliamentary seats to become Members of the European Parliament. However, they continued organizing conferences and attacking their political opponents. According to Gazeta Polska Codziennie, Joński himself should explain his relationship with the 41-year-old Andrzej R., who posed as a legal advisor and defrauded dozens of individuals and companies for hundreds of thousands of złoty between 2013 and 2016. In 2022, he was sentenced to six years in prison but avoided serving his sentence by going into hiding.
For 2.5 years, R. successfully evaded Polish law enforcement while hiding abroad. He was arrested in Italy in late December 2024, and after extradition, he was brought to Poland to serve his sentence. According to GPC‘s findings, while conducting his criminal activities, R. maintained close ties with Joński. Our sources claim he supported the politician’s 2019 electoral campaign, lent him cars, financed hotel stays and restaurant visits, and boasted of being the godfather of Joński’s child. So, what exactly connects the convicted criminal with the European MP from the Civic Coalition?
[…] Sources from GPC indicate that R. indeed maintained close friendships, including with Dariusz Joński. Their acquaintance is believed to have begun in the early 2000s when both were involved in the youth branches of the SLD (R. was formally a member of the former PZPR youth organization, the Union of Socialist Polish Youth, which was co-founded by the SLD).
– I have seen them together many times. They often called each other. Andrzej paid the bills for their restaurant visits and covered hotel expenses. Their relationship had to be close because he bragged about being the godfather of Joński’s son [the politician mentioned that his son was born in 2020]. I heard he organized the baby shower, which took place at the Anatewka restaurant in Łódź. I wasn’t at that party, though – said Krzysztof Rutkowski, former MP from Samoobrona, a celebrity, and the head of a well-known detective agency, in a conversation with GPC.
Two other people who knew Andrzej R. confirmed Rutkowski’s statements. – He indeed boasted about being the godfather of Joński’s son – they both agreed. They also heard about the baby shower. In addition, one of our sources shared something else: – When Joński was in Warsaw, to keep certain meetings discreet, he used cars loaned to him by Andrzej. All to avoid drawing attention. They would meet at a specific spot. Joński would drive his car and then switch to Andrzej’s car.
Another source adds: – I know that Andrzej paid for Joński’s hotel stays. They had very frequent contact, but they didn’t flaunt their friendship. The politician wasn’t present at Andrzej’s name-day celebration, which was lavishly organized at the U Wieniawy restaurant in Warsaw. I heard that Andrzej helped Joński raise funds for his 2015 election campaign.
GPC reached out to Dariusz Joński regarding his relationship with Andrzej R. Is the convicted fraudster really the godfather of his son? Did he support any of Joński’s electoral campaigns? And when did Joński learn about R.’s criminal activities? The European MP from the Civic Coalition did not respond to the questions sent to him. He also did not answer our calls or text messages.