Polish court upholds three-month arrest of Olympic chief Radosław Piesiewicz

Katowice court upholds pre-trial detention

The Regional Court in Katowice rejected an appeal from the defense of Polish Olympic Committee (PKOl) president Radosław Piesiewicz on 14 September 2026, maintaining his three-month pre-trial arrest. The ruling confirms the earlier decision issued by the Katowice-Wschód District Court on 29 August 2026 following his arrest in Warsaw. Prosecutor Justyna Grzesiak announced the decision following the Monday court session, noting that the court found sufficient justification for continued detention. Defense attorney Jędrzej Kupczyński confirmed the outcome to reporters immediately after the proceeding concluded.

Grzesiak explained the court's reasoning regarding the risk of interference with the ongoing investigation:

The court shared the reasoning of the district court, finding that both the general premise and the specific premise, the risk of obstruction, meaning the fear of obstructing proceedings by inducing false testimony from witnesses or explanations from suspects, were fulfilled.

Criminal charges and the Zondacrypto investigation

Piesiewicz was detained on 27 August 2026 in Warsaw by officers of the Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime (CBZC) before being transported to the Silesian branch of the National Prosecutor's Office. Prosecutors presented two formal charges connected to the cryptocurrency exchange Zondacrypto and its operator, BB Trade Estonia OU. The first charge involves paid protection dating to 2025, where Piesiewicz allegedly claimed influence at the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) through his acquaintance with a former prime minister. In exchange, prosecutors allege he accepted a watch valued at 169,476 PLN (approximately 40,000 euros) to intervene in UOKiK proceedings against the platform, a crime carrying a potential prison term of six months to eight years.

The second charge relates to actions in Warsaw and Monaco in April 2026, when the platform faced impending insolvency. Investigators state Piesiewicz urged a board member of BB Trade Estonia OU to satisfy selected creditors ahead of regular exchange users. The transactions included 194,420.15 PLN transferred on 7 April and 100,000 euros paid on 8 April, carrying penalties of up to three years imprisonment. Searches conducted at Piesiewicz's residence and PKOl headquarters resulted in the seizure of the watch, a mobile phone, and roughly 34,000 PLN in mixed Polish and foreign currency cash.

Defense arguments and Olympic Committee leadership

Piesiewicz has not admitted guilt to any of the allegations and provided extensive explanations to investigators during questioning. Defense lawyer Kupczyński argued before the court that the detention lacked justification and that no substantial probability of guilt existed. The defense team submitted banking documentation intended to demonstrate that Piesiewicz did not recover any capital invested in Zondacrypto. The court dismissed these arguments alongside the defense's claims that obstruction risks were absent.

Kupczyński described the court's rejection of the defense petitions following the hearing:

This argument was not accepted by the court. We presented an argument as to why there is no fear of obstruction, and this argument was also not accepted by the court.

With Piesiewicz remaining in custody, the board of the Polish Olympic Committee scheduled a meeting on Monday to designate an interim leader. Under committee rules, the board plans to select a replacement to manage organizational operations from among the eight serving PKOl vice presidents while legal proceedings continue in Katowice.