Fictitious donations worth PLN 20 million. Priest accused

An indictment against 43 people has been filed with the Warsaw-Praga District Court. Among them was Ryszard L., former pastor of the Roman Catholic Parish of St. Faustina in Warsaw. The prosecutor's office accuses him of accepting fictitious donations worth nearly PLN 20 million.

Fictitious donations amounting to a gigantic sum. A Warsaw priest earned 2 million złoty by acting as an intermediary.

Prosecutor Mateusz Martyniuk, Spokesperson for the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw, published a press release on Tuesday containing information about the indictment. The Warsaw clergyman was "accused of accepting fictitious donations for religious purposes totaling over PLN 18.4 million and fictitious donations for charitable and welfare purposes exceeding PLN 1 million between 2019 and 2023."

This is not the only charge brought against Father Ryszard L. by the prosecutor's office. Another one concerns "misleading tax offices as to the amount of personal income tax due, which resulted in its understatement by almost PLN 6 million."

According to investigators, the priest enriched himself by almost PLN 2 million by providing assistance in committing crimes.

The prosecutor's office provided details of the gang's operations. Fictitious donations to the parish account were made to avoid taxes.

The investigation into the case was conducted by the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw and the CBA Branch Office in Rzeszów. Officers determined the ring's modus operandi. Interested individuals contacted Father Ryszard L. (in person or by phone) and deposited donations into his parish account, amounting to approximately the statutory limit of 6% of income. The parish priest then transferred the funds to his private bank account, withdrew cash, deducted his "salary," and returned the remaining amount to the "donors."

During the investigation, property worth over PLN 4.3 million was seized.

Father Ryszard L. was arrested for three months in April 2024. Due to the investigation, the parish priest was suspended from his duties.