Polish court rejects pre-trial detention for MP Wojciech Król in EPPO bribery inquiry

Court ruling in Katowice

The District Court Katowice-East rejected a motion on Friday evening to place Polish lawmaker Wojciech Król in pre-trial detention. The request had been submitted earlier on 18 September 2026 by the European Public Prosecutor's Office following hours of questioning at its Katowice branch. Król had been taken into custody in Warsaw on Thursday by the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau and transported to Silesia. Delegated prosecutor Agnieszka Marcińczyk argued that detention was required to prevent obstruction of justice and reflected the severity of potential penalties. The court declined to order imprisonment, allowing the parliamentarian to remain free while the investigation proceeds.

Parliamentary vote and procedural timeline

The court decision followed action by Poland's lower house of parliament on 17 September 2026. Lawmakers in the Sejm approved the European Public Prosecutor's Office request to lift Król's immunity and authorize his detention and arrest. The motion passed with 422 votes in favour, 3 against, and 5 abstentions. This marked the second parliamentary vote concerning Król, after lawmakers agreed in July to strip his immunity while withholding consent for arrest at that time. Król had also been suspended from the Civic Coalition parliamentary club earlier in September, leading to the loss of his position as deputy club leader.

In favour422

Against3

Abstentions5

In favour

422 votes

Against

3 votes

Abstentions

5 votes

Data from the article text

Allegations in tram infrastructure probe

Investigators are examining suspected corruption and fraud involving public procurement for tram network modernization across the Upper Silesian-Zagłębie Metropolis. The infrastructure programme is financed through European Union funds and carries an overall valuation of 1.9 billion zlotys (435.5 million euros), covering the period from 2007 to 2027. Prosecutors allege that Król accepted financial benefits from commercial enterprises in connection with the contracts. Specific benefits cited by investigators include a trip to Thailand and the use of a car for an overseas journey. Król has served as a member of parliament since 2015 and was appointed chair of the National Media Council in 2024.

Defense arguments and jurisdictional challenge

Król has denied all accusations of wrongdoing, stating after his interrogation that he remains innocent. Defense attorney Marta Smołka announced that her client faces four corruption counts in total, including two presented during July proceedings and two delivered on Friday. Król maintained that he had never visited Thailand and explained that he merely borrowed a car from a friend for a group journey. Addressing reporters regarding the statutory definitions under Polish law, Król questioned the formulation of the allegations.

“Article 230 of the Penal Code speaks of mediation in exchange for a specific benefit. The prosecutor applies far-reaching hypotheses that if I did something, knowing a given person, if I helped him, and if he benefited from it, he could make money on it in the future. That is not how a charge under this article is formulated, which states very specifically that undertaking mediation must be in exchange for something. It can of course be a promise, but it must be specific.”

Smołka also challenged the legal scope of the European prosecution, maintaining that several charges lack any direct tie to the tram projects or European Union funding.

“In addition, we argue that some of them in our opinion are not related to European Union funds, and thus in our opinion should not be subject to the jurisdiction of the European Public Prosecutor's Office.”