Marek Boroń, the Chief Commander of the Polish Police, earned well over half a million PLN last year. Under his leadership, the police force carried out several controversial actions, including the arrest of two PiS MPs at the Presidential Palace, the suppression of protesting farmers, and the detention of critics of Rafał Trzaskowski ahead of the presidential election, reports the latest issue of Gazeta Polska.
Boroń, who was appointed as Chief Commander of the Police by Prime Minister Donald Tusk in late March 2024, earned more than PLN 568,000 in the previous year—more than the heads of the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA), Border Guard, or Government Protection Bureau (SOP). His substantial earnings stand in stark contrast to the deepening crisis within the police force. As of May 1, the vacancy rate in the police exceeded 12%, with more than one-quarter of officer positions unfilled in Warsaw alone. It was the capital’s police force—led by Boroń’s trusted associate, Inspector Dariusz Walichnowski—that was recently rocked by a scandal involving the arrest of a secret division officer in possession of narcotics.
At the same time, the police under Boroń’s command have been accused of acting on political orders. In early January, his subordinates arrested Maciej Wąsik and Mariusz Kamiński at the Presidential Palace. Officers also used tear gas and batons against farmers protesting the Green Deal and pursued individuals dressed as Zorro and Batman during the election campaign, who had criticized the Civic Platform (PO) candidate. More recently, acting on orders from the prosecutor’s office, the police detained former CBA officers as part of an investigation into the Pegasus surveillance system.
According to Gazeta Polska, Boroń’s career has long been linked to influential backers from the Civic Platform–Polish People’s Party (PO–PSL) era, namely Generals Marek Działoszyński and Mirosław Schossler. The latter is currently a defendant in the so-called Podkarpacie scandal. These two figures are believed to have played a decisive role in Boroń’s appointment as the head of the police.
Further concerns have arisen regarding other matters. In September 2024, Boroń was involved in an accident while driving a government vehicle that rolled over. The prosecutor’s office dismissed the case, classifying it as a minor traffic incident. The Police Headquarters’ spokesperson confirmed that Boroń did not receive any additional compensation in connection with the incident.
The most serious controversy, however, stems from Gazeta Polska’s findings concerning a popular YouTuber known as “Buddy.” His associate, a restaurateur referred to as “L.,” allegedly had telephone contact with Boroń at a time when the prosecution was already conducting an investigation into large-scale tax fraud and illegal gambling. As Chief Commander, Boroń oversees the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBŚ), which was responsible for arrests in the case. The Police Headquarters’ press office stated that Boroń was not aware of the details of the investigation. “Chief Superintendent Marek Boroń has no knowledge of the case materials in question, has no information regarding the individuals subject to operational methods and techniques, and is not aware of any recorded conversations involving him during the investigation,” explained Inspector Katarzyna Nowak. Nonetheless, the police chief did acknowledge that he knows the restaurateur and that they had “several contacts” in 2024.