On-the-Lam Polish Politician Surfaces in Renegade, Pro-Moscow Moldova Territory
Polish ex-Deputy Justice Minister Marcin Romanowski, wanted for $27M embezzlement (up to 25 years), lives in Transnistria’s Tiraspol beyond Interpol reach. He wants safe conduct to face trial but prosecutors see him as a flight risk after over 18 months on the run.
Marcin Romanowski, a former Deputy Minister of Justice in Poland, has resurfaced in Transnistria, a breakaway region in Moldova that holds pro-Moscow sympathies. Romanowski, who has been on the run from corruption charges, reportedly arrived in Tiraspol through Romania. Transnistrian authorities claim to run a self-governing republic loyal to Soviet Marxist principles, but this status remains unrecognized by international bodies, including the United Nations and Russia.
Romanowski has filed a motion in a Warsaw court requesting "safe conduct" to return to Poland for trial, but Polish prosecutors consider him a flight risk due to the severity of potential penalties. If convicted, he could face up to 25 years in prison. Romanowski denies the allegations and claims they are politically motivated. His legal troubles stem from accusations of public fund misappropriation and abuse of power, including embezzling $27 million and attempting to embezzle an additional $15 million.
Romanowski, a member of Poland's nationalist Law and Justice Party, has previously sought protection in a Hungarian monastery and later Hungary, which granted him protection under a right-wing, anti-EU government in 2023. Ukraine has since shut down border checkpoints with Transnistria, and Romanowski is believed to have entered the region via Moldova.
Transnistria's lack of cooperative agreements with most states makes it a lawless area, except for Russia.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
