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There is a motion for temporary arrest for Leszek Czarnecki, suspected by the prosecution of defrauding more than 1,100 Idea Bank customers of PLN 227 million. The court’s decision to arrest him is necessary because investigators want to issue an international arrest letter for the businessman, as well as a European Arrest Warrant.
Investigators from the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw claim that the businessman, who is abroad, is deliberately avoiding appearing for questioning in Poland.
“Poor” health condition of the suspect
As they calculated, from June 2021 to January this year Czarnecki failed to appear for nine interrogation dates of which he was notified. Each time, he sent certificates issued by foreign doctors. These showed that – due to his health condition – he could not travel by air.
Investigators have verified, however, that the businessman regularly flies from Europe to the United States – journeys there take 10 hours, while the length of the flight from Nice to Warsaw – as they note – is 2 and a half hours.
The prosecution wants a custody ruling to issue letters of arrest for the businessman and bring him in for questioning.
The scandal
The prosecution believes that Czarnecki, as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Idea Bank S.A. and the person actually managing it, by giving his consent, enabled the organisation and conduct of the sale of GetBack S.A. bonds in the Idea Bank S.A. network, through which GetBack S.A. bonds were purchased by nearly 2,000 people for PLN 731 million. Idea Bank customers were systemically misled about the safety of their invested funds, the characteristics of the purchased financial instrument and its exclusivity. The distribution of bonds through Idea Bank was carried out without a permit from the Polish Financial Supervision Authority.
The investigation into the so-called GetBack scandal was opened on 24 April 2018 after notifications by the chairman of the Financial Supervision Commission. The investigation relates to the infliction of financial damage of great magnitude, the keeping of accounts contrary to regulations and the provision of false information. The losses are estimated at up to PLN 2.6 billion.