Poland's Jarosław Kaczyński Summoned in "Two Towers" Bribery Probe

Jarosław Kaczyński, the leader of Poland's Law and Justice (PiS) party, has been summoned to testify before prosecutors in the "two towers" case. This investigation centers on allegations of bribery connected to a planned construction project by Srebrna, a company associated with the PiS party.

The "two towers" affair was revealed by Gazeta Wyborcza in January 2019, publishing a transcript of a conversation between Kaczyński and Austrian businessman Gerald Birgfellner from July 2018. The discussion concerned plans to build two skyscrapers in Warsaw, intended to be financed by a loan of up to 300 million euros from Pekao SA bank. Kaczyński was reportedly set to personally oversee the investment, which was projected to yield multi-million euro profits. The construction project was ultimately abandoned.

Birgfellner's lawyer filed a criminal complaint against Kaczyński in late January 2019, demanding payment for services rendered in preparation for the investment. He sought 1.5 million euros, including VAT, from Srebrna. In 2019, under the prosecution of Zbigniew Ziobro, the prosecutor's office refused to initiate an investigation. However, an investigation was launched in February 2025.

Kaczyński was summoned to provide testimony as a witness. He failed to appear for the initial hearing scheduled for May 20. The PiS leader asserts that the prosecution's actions in this case are part of a political struggle against the opposition. "Since there is nothing, they need fictitious cases," Kaczyński stated.

The "two towers" case is one of 200 cases included in a January report by the National Prosecutor's Office, which audited proceedings from the United Right's governance period between 2016 and 2023.