President of Częstochowa arrested by CBA. Krzysztof Matyjaszczyk suspected of corruption

Officers of the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau conducted an operation to arrest Częstochowa President Krzysztof Matyjaszczyk on Wednesday morning. The action took place near the local official's residence on the order of a prosecutor from the Silesian Regional Branch of the Department for Organized Crime and Corruption of the National Public Prosecutor's Office in Katowice. Simultaneously, CBA agents secured documentation at several locations in the city, including the Częstochowa City Hall, where activities focused mainly on departments related to the culture sector. According to information provided by National Prosecutor Dariusz Korneluk, Krzysztof Matyjaszczyk is the nineteenth person suspected in this extensive proceeding. The investigation, described as ongoing, concerns suspicions of a corrupt nature, focusing primarily on public procurement procedures. Unofficial media reports indicate the possibility of accepting material benefits in exchange for favorable administrative decisions, with bribe amounts allegedly reaching tens of thousands of zloty. The Częstochowa local government has been under scrutiny by the authorities since autumn 2024, when the then Deputy Marshal of the Silesian Voivodeship Bartłomiej S., a former deputy mayor of the city, was arrested. Since then, the list of suspects has been growing systematically.The situation caused immediate political turmoil. Włodzimierz Czarzasty decided to suspend the president's New Left membership rights pending a full explanation of the case. Meanwhile, councilors from the opposition Law and Justice party are demanding an extraordinary session of the city council, raising doubts about the continuity of Częstochowa's governance. In the event of the president's potential detention, his duties will be taken over by his first deputy, Zdzisław Wolski. „Sprawa dotyczy podejrzenia popełnienia przestępstwa korupcyjnego. Po zakończeniu tych czynności zatrzymany mężczyzna zostanie przewieziony do katowickiej prokuratury.” (The case concerns suspicion of committing a corruption offense. After these activities are completed, the detained man will be transported to the prosecutor's office in Katowice.) — Jacek DobrzyńskiFurther procedural steps, including continued questioning and potential decisions on preventive measures, are scheduled for Thursday. The prosecutor's office announced that only after their completion will it issue an official statement detailing the content of the charges. 19 — the president of Częstochowa is a suspect in the investigationStatus of suspects in corruption investigation: Charges filed: 17, Arrested today: 2, Total suspects: 19