Crime28 August, 20262 min read
Polish Olympic Chief Radosław Piesiewicz Arrested in Zondacrypto Fraud Probe
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Polish Olympic Committee president Radosław Piesiewicz arrested in Zondacrypto fraud probe. Prosecutors allege he received financial benefits, including a €40,000 watch.
Olympic chief arrested
Polish authorities arrested Radosław Piesiewicz, the president of the Polish Olympic Committee, in a fraud investigation into the collapsed cryptocurrency platform Zondacrypto, with prosecutors examining alleged benefits he received from the exchange’s operations. AML Intelligence said the alleged benefits include a luxury Swiss watch worth about €40,000, while prosecutors also linked the case to suspected fraud and money laundering at Zondacrypto.
Euronews reported that Poland’s Sports Minister Jakub Rudnicki confirmed on X that "Radosław Piesiewicz has been arrested," and Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski described him as a "symbol of the extreme corruption plaguing the Olympic movement." Euronews added that authorities launched an investigation in April, and said Piesiewicz was suspected of receiving kickbacks from Zondacrypto in return for sponsorship deals.
Tusk, Nawrocki, and vetoes
As the Zondacrypto probe widened, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he would seek a parliamentary vote on President Karol Nawrocki’s latest veto of legislation regulating cryptoassets. Anadolu Ajansı quoted Tusk saying, "There is no doubt that this dirty and murky business was very strongly connected with the entire PiS environment," as he accused Law and Justice (PiS) of extensive links with the company.
Anadolu Ajansı said Nawrocki has vetoed government legislation regulating cryptoassets three times — in December 2025, February and June 2026 — and that Parliament had not yet voted on Nawrocki’s most recent veto issued on June 11. Anadolu Ajansı also said the proposed legislation would designate Poland’s Financial Supervision Authority, KNF, as the main regulator of the cryptoasset market and empower it to sanction companies operating in the sector.
Losses, charges, and fallout
The Zondacrypto collapse has driven estimates of customer losses, with Euronews saying the government estimates Zondacrypto’s disappearance caused 350 million zlotys (€80 million) in losses and that around 30,000 people fell victim to the company. Crypto News said investigators estimate Polish investors could have lost up to $100 million, while the wider case centers on whether funds were improperly diverted as Zondacrypto faced possible insolvency.
Crypto News reported that prosecutors charged Piesiewicz under Articles 230 and 302 of Poland’s criminal code, and said the allegations concern paid influence and satisfying one group of creditors at the expense of others while insolvency was approaching. Euronews added that Piesiewicz was responsible for signing a sponsorship agreement for the Olympic committee with Zondacrypto, under which Olympic medallists at the Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina in February would be awarded prizes in cryptocurrency.