Poland detains 6 former officials in arms corruption probe

WARSAW, Poland – Poland’s anti-corruption bureau says it has detained six suspects as part of an investigation into a state-owned arms company, including an ex-lawmaker and former employees from the Defence Ministry.

One of those detained is Bartlomiej Misiewicz, a former spokesman at the ministry and close associate of Antoni Macierewicz, who was defence minister from 2015 to early 2018 under the current conservative Law and Justice party.

The Central Anti-Corruption Bureau said in a statement Monday said it suspects there was a mismanagement of assets of “substantial value,” which threatened to financially damage the Polish Armaments Group, the country’s largest defence firm that is more commonly known by its Polish acronym PZU.

Among the crimes, it said it is investigating the falsification of documents.