Barbara Mróz-Gorgoń under investigation over Poland brand report

Polish authorities have launched an investigation into a report titled ‘Polaków Portret Własny. Raport z badań DNA marki Polska’ (A Portrait of Poles. A Report on the DNA of the Poland Brand), led by Professor Barbara Mróz-Gorgoń. Police have conducted searches at the property of Mróz-Gorgoń, the former government plenipotentiary for the promotion of the Poland brand, as well as several other locations in Lower Silesia.

The investigation, overseen by the Warsaw District Prosecutor's Office, focuses on two primary allegations. First, there are suspicions of fraud and the submission of unreliable documents to obtain a grant of approximately 179,738 PLN from the Ministry of Sport and Tourism for a tourism sub-strategy. Second, prosecutors are examining whether officials at the Ministry exceeded their authority or neglected their duties by approving the report and authorizing the payment of the subsidy.

The report drew significant criticism following allegations that artificial intelligence was used extensively in its creation. While Mróz-Gorgoń defended her methodology, the controversy led to her resignation from her government position and her suspension from her university. The Ministry of Sport and Tourism has stated that the publication was not part of any formal contract with the department.