Poland seeks European arrest warrant for former minister granted political asylum in Hungary

By Ilayda Cakirtekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - Polish prosecutors requested a European arrest warrant Tuesday for a former justice minister who was granted political asylum by Hungary last month, according to broadcaster TVP World.

Prosecutors filed a request for a European arrest warrant against Zbigniew Ziobro, who is facing multiple charges in Poland.

The prosecutor’s office said Ziobro was “most likely hiding in a European Union country to avoid criminal liability,” and “his current address is unknown.”

The motion came after officials issued a domestic arrest warrant last week, and a Warsaw court ordered pre-trial detention of the former minister, who is suspected of committing 26 offenses relating to the misuse of public funds and abuse of power.

Ziobro is accused of establishing and leading an “organized criminal group” that allegedly misused around €35.4 million ($42 million) from a state program to help crime victims.