Court Orders Detention For Former Cinkciarz.pl Board Member Over Fraud Case
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A court in Poland has ordered the three-month detention of Robert Górny, a former board member of Polish online currency exchange Cinkciarz.pl, as part of a growing fraud investigation. The case has also led to charges against the company’s president, Marcin Pióro. The authorities say both suspects could face up to 25 years in prison if found guilty.
The Regional Court in Poznań approved the prosecutor’s request for temporary arrest on March 12. Officers from the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime worked with the police to detain Górny. However, since he is currently outside the country, the court did not apply temporary detention measures.
Prosecutors Say Górny Took Part In A Fraud Scheme
Prosecutors have accused Górny of being involved in a fraud case that misled many customers. The investigation found that the scheme caused financial losses of over 49 million Polish złoty, which is about $12 million. The Poznań Regional Prosecutor’s Office stated that customers were tricked about contract details through the Cinkciarz.pl mobile application.
According to the investigation, funds collected from customers were supposed to be used for currency exchange and payment services. However, the money was instead directed to cover the operational costs of companies under the Conotoxia Holding Capital Group. Authorities believe this misdirection of funds was a key part of the fraudulent activity.
Suspect Denies Charges While Court Supports Prosecutors’ Evidence
Górny told the prosecutor that he did not commit any crime. He provided a statement explaining his defense. However, the court agreed with the prosecutors, saying that the evidence collected strongly supports the claims against him.
Until recently, Górny was listed as a board member of Cinkciarz.pl. But now, Polish police refer to him as a former member. This information matches details from the fintech company’s website, where his name no longer appears.
Meanwhile, Górny’s LinkedIn profile states that he has worked for 14 years at a “Poland FinTech Company” in Zielona Góra. Investigators believe this company is likely Cinkciarz.pl, as it is based in the same city.
The case also involves charges against Pióro, the President of Cinkciarz.pl’s Management Board. However, he is currently outside Poland, so no legal steps have been taken against him yet. Prosecutors have officially issued fraud charges against Pióro. The Polish Police stated that procedural actions against him have not yet started because he is not in the country.
The investigation follows a decision by the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF) in October to cancel the payment services license of Conotoxia, a company linked to Cinkciarz.pl. The decision came after customers reported delays in currency exchanges and money transfers.
Early this year, around 1,200 Cinkciarz.pl customers had filed complaints with the prosecutor’s office. In December, authorities blocked 328 bank accounts connected to the company.
