The Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA) has detained the Chairman of the Częstochowa City Council, Łukasz B.(Civic Coalition). The case concerns an ongoing corruption investigation in which the main suspect is Bartłomiej S., former Deputy Mayor of Częstochowa and former Deputy Marshal of the Silesian Voivodeship.
The detention of Łukasz B. was confirmed by Katarzyna Calów-Jaszewska from the press department of the National Prosecutor’s Office. The investigation concerning Bartłomiej S. is being conducted by the Silesian branch of the National Prosecutor’s Office.
“Łukasz B. was detained in connection with a corruption scheme linked to Bartłomiej S. Further information will be provided tomorrow, as procedural actions are currently underway involving the detainee and another individual who was also detained this morning,”
said Prosecutor Calów-Jaszewska.
Łukasz B. was the Civic Coalition’s candidate for mayor of Częstochowa in the most recent local elections. He received 21.59% of the vote and did not advance to the second round, in which incumbent Mayor Krzysztof Matyjaszczyk from the Left secured re-election, defeating Law and Justice (PiS) candidate Monika Pohorecka. After the election, Łukasz B. became chairman of the city council.
Bartłomiej S. was detained by the CBA in October 2024. The prosecution accuses him of accepting material and personal benefits, as well as conditioning the performance of official duties on receiving such benefits. In May of this year, the suspect was released from custody. The prosecutor’s office imposed alternative preventive measures, including a financial surety of 400,000 PLN, police supervision combined with a ban on contacting specific participants in the proceedings, and a travel ban with passport confiscation.
Bartłomiej S. has been charged with multiple counts of corruption and money laundering. The allegations concern both his tenure as Deputy Marshal and his earlier position as Deputy Mayor of Częstochowa. In total, over a dozen individuals have been charged in the investigation with corruption-related offenses, including providing S. with benefits in exchange for favorable administrative decisions. Among those charged are businesspeople and Janusz K., the Rector of the Jan Długosz University in Częstochowa, who has been suspended from his duties by the prosecutor’s order.
Following his arrest and detention, Bartłomiej S. resigned from his position as Deputy Marshal. The regional assembly subsequently elected Leszek Pietraszek as his replacement. After being detained, S. was suspended from membership in the Civic Platform (Platforma Obywatelska). He had served as Vice-Chairman of the Częstochowa branch of the party and a member of the regional board of the Silesian structure. In the most recent local elections, he was elected to the Silesian Regional Assembly from the Civic Coalition (KO) list and joined the new regional government supported by KO, Third Way (Trzecia Droga), and the Left (Lewica). Previously, he had served as a city councilor, deputy chairman of the Częstochowa City Council, and Deputy Mayor of the city.