Warsaw Prosecutor to Investigate New York's Pilecki Institute Operations Amid Financial Mismanagement Allegations

The Pilecki Institute in Warsaw has initiated legal action, filing a criminal complaint on June 16 with the District Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw. The complaint targets individuals responsible for overseeing the institute's U.S. subsidiary, Pilecki Institute USA Inc., alleging they committed offenses by abusing their authority and neglecting their duties, thereby harming the company.

Central to the complaint are substantial financial penalties incurred from a lease agreement for a property in New York City. The former management allegedly allowed contractual penalties totaling $608,200.83 to be assessed. Additionally, approximately $90,000 from a Tenant Improvement Allowance was lost. These combined losses amount to roughly $698,200.

The lease agreement for over 3,000 square meters at 92 Greenwich Street in Manhattan was signed on November 4, 2023, by the then-deputy director of the Institute, Dr. Wojciech Kozłowski. The agreement stipulated that the branch must commence operations by July 8, 2025, or face increased rent, an additional burden of over $138,000 per month. Failure to meet this deadline could also result in the forfeiture of a financial bonus of up to $1.3 million intended for adaptation costs.

Dr. Kozłowski stated that the Institute's activities were "blocked" shortly after the new Minister of Culture, Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz, took office, with operations allegedly limited to administrative tasks. He accused the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of sabotaging the Institute's work. The management of the U.S. company was dismissed in June, and on June 18, British journalist and biographer of Captain Witold Pilecki, Jack Fairweather, took the helm of the American branch.