Warsaw: The Polish public prosecutor’s office has requested the arrest of former justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro on suspicion of corruption. Prosecutors have asked parliament to lift the immunity of Ziobro, now a lawmaker for the right-wing Law and Justice party, to allow his detention and prosecution, a spokeswoman for the office in Warsaw said on Tuesday.

According to Ghana News Agency, the 55-year-old is under investigation for 26 alleged offences, including forming and participating in a criminal organization and embezzling the equivalent of some $40 million. He is also accused of abusing his powers and neglecting his official duties. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.

At the centre of the allegations is the Justice Fund, which is overseen by the Justice Ministry and intended to assist victims of crime. As minister, Ziobro allegedly ordered subordinates to divert millions from the fund into projects that could benefit his party politically. The prosecutor’s office spokeswoman stated, ‘Based on the evidence, there is no doubt that Zbigniew Ziobro was aware of the irregularities in the awarding of grants from the Justice Fund.’

Last December, prosecutors brought similar charges against Ziobro’s former deputy, Marcin Romanowski, who later fled to Hungary and was granted political asylum there. Ziobro is also suspected of using money from the Justice Fund to buy the Israeli-made Pegasus spyware. Political opponents have accused the former Law and Justice government of using Pegasus to monitor rivals and critics.

Pegasus exploits smartphone security flaws to access data and intercept calls. In early 2024, the prosecutor general’s office confirmed that the software had been used between 2017 and 2023 to monitor 578 people. Testifying before a parliamentary inquiry in September, Ziobro admitted initiating the purchase of Pegasus but denied it was used illegally.

The Law and Justice party governed Poland from 2015 to 2023, overhauling the judiciary in a move that brought it into conflict with the European Commission. The party lost power in the October 2023 parliamentary elections and now leads the opposition. The centrist government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk has since been working to reverse Law and Justice’s controversial judicial reforms.