Donald Tusk says wanted lawmaker Marcin Romanowski is in Transnistria, prompting legal clash

Intelligence findings in Tiraspol

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated on 18 August 2026 before a Council of Ministers meeting that intelligence agencies from partner countries in the region confirmed with 99% certainty that former deputy justice minister Marcin Romanowski is in Tiraspol, the capital of the Russian-controlled breakaway region of Transnistria in Moldova. Romanowski, a lawmaker for the Law and Justice (PiS) party, faces charges over alleged financial irregularities in the Justice Fund (Fundusz Sprawiedliwości).

I think no comments are needed here. This fact alone is enough of a comment not only about Mr. Romanowski, but about the entire political formation that used such people, covered for them, and continues to cover for them to this day.

Prosecutorial stance and procedural evidence

Shortly after the prime minister's statement, National Prosecutor's Office spokesman Przemysław Nowak held a press conference explaining the procedural status of the investigation. Nowak clarified that prosecutors currently have no procedural evidence confirming whether Romanowski is staying at the address in Tiraspol listed in his court application. Preliminary border agency data showed that Romanowski had not officially crossed the borders of Moldova, Romania, or Ukraine over the past five years. Nowak noted that Tusk's remarks reflected operational intelligence from foreign services rather than formal evidentiary material admissible in court.

The prosecutor's office opposed Romanowski's application for a safe conduct (list żelazny) submitted last week to the Warsaw District Court in an envelope mailed from Tiraspol. Nowak stated that Polish prosecutors had turned to Moldovan authorities for international legal assistance to verify the lawmaker's whereabouts.

Defense request to question prime minister

Following Tusk's remarks, Romanowski's defense attorney Bartosz Lewandowski of Ordo Iuris filed an application with the Warsaw District Court requesting that the prime minister be formally questioned as a witness. Lewandowski argued that Tusk's operational knowledge could provide decisive testimony to determine whether Romanowski is located outside the European Union.

Under Polish legal procedure, a European Arrest Warrant applies to suspects residing within the European Union, while revoking the warrant requires establishing that the suspect is outside EU territory. Lewandowski also maintained that a safe conduct can be granted when there are no legal means to extradite a suspect to Poland, framing Tusk's declaration as material evidence supporting Romanowski's legal defense.

Political and judicial reactions

PiS lawmaker Michał Wójcik disputed Tusk's statement on Polsat News, pointing to the discrepancy between the prosecutor's position and the prime minister's claims. Wójcik suggested that reports alleging Romanowski was staying at a Dehonian monastery in Tiraspol, connected to the religious order of indicted priest Michał Olszewski, resembled a political provocation. Deputy Sports Minister Ireneusz Raś of Centrum dla Polski countered that hiding on territory politically aligned with Moscow would represent severe misconduct against the state.

Former Constitutional Tribunal President Marek Safjan described Romanowski's flight to a Kremlin-aligned territory as contempt for the rule of law. Safjan noted the procedural paradox that criminal procedure amendments enacted under the previous PiS administration in 2021, which made prosecutorial participation and objection mandatory during safe conduct proceedings, are now being used to block Romanowski's bid to return to parliament under legal immunity.