The CEO of TV Republika, Tomasz Sakiewicz, has once again been summoned by the National Prosecutor’s Office to testify as a witness. The actions are related to proceedings conducted, among others, against former Minister of Justice Zbigniew Ziobro. This is yet another time.
Another summons to the prosecutor’s office
According to an official summons, Sakiewicz is required to appear in person on June 11, 2026, at 09:00 AM at the headquarters of the National Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw. The summons explicitly states compulsory attendance.
The case concerns proceedings against Zbigniew Ziobro and others suspected of offenses under Article 231 § 1 of the Penal Code and other provisions. This article relates to the abuse of power by public officials.
The document also obliges Sakiewicz to submit all documentation – either originals or certified copies – related to the employment or cooperation of Zbigniew Ziobro with TV Republika S.A. Additionally, he is required to bring a valid form of identification.
The summons was issued and signed by prosecutor Piotr Woźniak of the National Prosecutor’s Office.
Legal obligations and consequences
The summons includes a legal notice stating that a witness is obliged to appear at the specified time and place. Failure to do so without justification may result in a financial penalty. Furthermore, the prosecutor may order detention and forced appearance.
Earlier fine imposed
In a separate decision dated May 25, 2026, the National Prosecutor’s Office imposed a disciplinary fine of PLN 3,000 on Tomasz Sakiewicz. The decision was issued within the same proceedings and obliges him to pay the amount within 7 days of receiving the decision.
The justification states that Investigative Team No. 2 is conducting a probe into the abuse of powers by officials of the Ministry of Justice in connection with the spending of public funds from the Justice Fund between January 1, 2016, and December 12, 2023.
Ziobro abroad, key thread of the investigation
According to the prosecution, procedural actions involving Zbigniew Ziobro could not be carried out because he was allegedly hiding from Polish law enforcement authorities and staying abroad. At the same time, investigators established that he had been employed by TV Republika as a correspondent and was currently in the United States.
This led to the need to question Tomasz Sakiewicz as a witness regarding the circumstances of Ziobro’s employment.
Disputed testimony
During a previous interrogation, Sakiewicz refused to answer all questions. He stated that he would respond only when “summoned by a legally acting prosecutor”. He also argued that the scope of the interrogation had been incorrectly defined in the summons.
Furthermore, he invoked journalistic confidentiality, stating that he could not disclose information due to the obligation to protect sources. He added that details of the employment had been restricted by a person who feared for their safety.
This is not the first time Sakiewicz has been questioned in this case. He was previously interrogated on May 20, 2026, at the headquarters of the National Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw.
Tomasz Sakiewicz, CEO of TV Republika, stated:
“I declared full readiness to give testimony if I am summoned by a legally appointed prosecutor and if the scope of the summons corresponds to the circumstances on which I am to be questioned. I was supposed to be questioned in the case referred to by the leadership of the prosecutor’s office, but not the one that was the actual purpose of the interrogation,” said the CEO of TV Republika after leaving the May hearing.
After leaving the prosecutor’s office building, addressing supporters gathered outside, Sakiewicz stated that “no one in the National Prosecutor’s Office is able to properly draft a summons.”
He added:
“This demonstrates either a complete collapse of legal knowledge or a lack of any need to comply with the law. We are dealing with an unbelievable embarrassment for the prosecution. It is incredible that even when setting a trap for me here, they were not able to correctly draft the summons. This shows that the end of this system is approaching.”