Former Polish Minister Sławomir Nowak Accused of Pressuring Doctor for Fake Sick Notes

Poland's prosecutor office in Warsaw indicted former sport minister Sławomir Nowak in December 2021 on 17 charges, including bribery and an alleged attempt to induce a doctor to issue false medical certificates. The certificates were meant to justify Nowak's absence while he headed the state road agency Ukrawtor for Ukraine.

According to media reports, recordings obtained during a Pegasus‑enabled surveillance operation captured Nowak requesting Dr. Emil Jędrzejewski, a former chief surgeon at the South Hospital, to provide two falsified sick notes in June and October 2018. Dr. Jędrzejewski has denied any such request, stating he never received an appeal from the minister and that no false certificates were ever produced. Because no document was found, prosecutors did not charge the doctor, leaving the alleged incitement as a charge against Nowak alone. The case remains before the court, with the former minister’s defence seeking dismissal of the false‑certificate allegation.