Polish Parliament Authorises Arrest of MP Wojciech Król in EU Tram Fraud Case

Parliamentary authorisation and detention in Warsaw

Officers from the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA) detained Polish lawmaker Wojciech Król in Warsaw on Thursday evening, 17 September 2026. Special services coordinator Tomasz Siemoniak confirmed the operation on social media, noting that officers acted under instructions from the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) and with explicit parliamentary consent. Ministerial spokesperson Jacek Dobrzyński stated that the operation took place in the capital. The arrest followed a plenary vote in the Sejm earlier the same day, where 422 lawmakers voted in favour of permitting Król's detention and temporary arrest, 3 opposed the motion, and 5 abstained out of 430 participating members. A statutory absolute majority of 231 votes was required.

Scope of the European fraud investigation

The European Public Prosecutor's Office is conducting an investigation into alleged fraud and corruption linked to public procurement for tram infrastructure modernization in the Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolis. Delegated European prosecutor Agnieszka Marcińczyk presented findings to the parliamentary rules committee indicating that newly obtained evidence pointed to corrupt practices. Prosecutors suspect Król accepted approximately 330,000 euros in exchange for arranging European Union funding through the Silesian Marshal's Office for the 'Stara Huta' office development at the former Huta Kościuszko site in Chorzów. Investigators also allege he received tens of thousands of zlotys in cash for securing jobs at the public transit operator Tramwaje Śląskie, alongside other benefits including a vehicle loan for foreign travel and an overseas trip to Thailand.

Defense arguments and procedural challenges

Król rejected the accusations during committee hearings, stating that he had never travelled to Thailand and had borrowed a vehicle from a friend for a group trip. He also complained about existing preventative measures imposed by the EPPO, noting his police check-in requirements were increased from monthly to weekly alongside a travel ban, while alleging that authorities monitored his phone. Defence counsel Marta Smołka announced plans to challenge the arrest request in court, arguing that procedural errors occurred and questioning whether the EPPO holds full jurisdiction over every allegation.

It seems strange at least that in July the committee and following it the Sejm decided there were no grounds for detention and temporary arrest, and a moment later that resolution loses significance and an exactly opposite decision is made, even though the repeated motion considered today reached the Sejm before the initial decision refusing consent to detention and temporary arrest.

Political standing and asset disclosures

Król has served as a member of parliament from the Katowice district since 2015 and has chaired the National Media Council since 2024. Following the submission of the updated EPPO motion, Civic Coalition parliamentary club leader Zbigniew Konwiński confirmed that Król was suspended from the parliamentary group, stripping him of his role as deputy club leader. The Sejm had previously lifted his parliamentary immunity on 31 July 2026 following an initial May application, while rejecting his arrest at that time. Asset disclosures filed by Król in April 2026 listed savings of 340,000 zlotys, 7,000 euros, and 2,000 US dollars, as well as an 89 percent stake in 360R Sp. z o.o., two residential properties valued at 1.6 million zlotys and 500,000 zlotys, a 312,000 zloty mortgage, and a Maurice Lacroix watch.