Polish prosecutors question Romanowski location claims after safe conduct letter sent from Bendery

Conflicting accounts of Romanowski's location

The Polish National Prosecutor's Office found no evidence that Marcin Romanowski, a Law and Justice lawmaker and former deputy justice minister, is residing in the breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria. Romanowski applied for a safe conduct letter at the Warsaw District Court, claiming he currently resides in the regional capital of Tiraspol at 17 Shevchenko Street. Polish investigators established that the declared address is an empty, fenced plot situated between a medical clinic at number 15 and a shopping centre at number 21.

Further analysis of the postal shipment revealed that the application, dated 12 July 2026, was dispatched on 25 July 2026 from the town of Bendery, located between 12 and 15 kilometres from Tiraspol. Polish authorities consider the Transnistria claim a deliberate attempt to mislead investigators while avoiding arrest.

I declare that I am currently in Moldova, the Transnistria region, and I intend to appear voluntarily before the competent court and participate in all procedural acts. The only obstacle to my return is a justified fear that after arriving in Poland I will be detained and placed in temporary arrest.

Prosecution opposition and border records

On 18 August 2026, the National Prosecutor's Office submitted formal opposition to the Warsaw District Court against granting a safe conduct letter. Investigators received official statements from border agencies in Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine indicating that no person under the name Marcin Romanowski crossed their borders in recent years. Romanowski claimed to possess a passport issued under another identity that allows movement across the European Union.

Prosecutors argued that the combination of alternative travel documents and conflicting location claims demonstrates an intent to evade justice rather than cooperate. Polish authorities also noted that Transnistria remains outside the effective control of Moldovan authorities, making official verification on the ground impossible.

Defense demands testimony from Donald Tusk

The findings by prosecutors diverge from earlier public statements delivered by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who told reporters that regional intelligence services confirmed Romanowski's presence in Tiraspol.

Services of other countries in the region with which we cooperate confirmed to us this information, that Mr Romanowski is ninety-nine percent in Transnistria, in Tiraspol.

Following reports from the prosecution, Romanowski's defense attorney, Bartosz Lewandowski, stated that Donald Tusk should be formally questioned by the court to establish the legal grounds for a safe conduct letter. Lewandowski argued that testimony confirming Romanowski resides outside the European Union would satisfy the statutory requirements for granting procedural protection.

In view of such a position of the prosecution regarding the whereabouts of Marcin Romanowski, questioning Prime Minister Donald Tusk is necessary, because then the grounds for issuing a safe conduct letter will exist. After all, the Prime Minister could not have lied by indicating that Romanowski is outside EU territory.

Criminal charges and cross-border movements

Romanowski faces 11 criminal charges in Poland, including participation in an organized criminal group and manipulating grant competitions funded by the Justice Fund. He previously obtained political asylum in Hungary, but departed the country following a change of government in Budapest.

Investigators maintain an active European Arrest Warrant against Romanowski and expressed concern that prematurely accepting his Transnistrian residence claims could compromise extradition efforts and enable his flight. The Warsaw District Court continues to evaluate the safe conduct request alongside the formal opposition submitted by prosecutors.