Radosław Piesiewicz arrested amid Polish Olympic Committee corruption scandal

Radosław Piesiewicz, the president of the Polish Olympic Committee (PKOl), has been arrested following allegations of paid protection. Investigators claim Piesiewicz promised to use his influence within the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) to assist Przemysław Kral, the CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange Zondacrypto. In exchange, it is alleged he received a luxury watch valued at 40,000 euros.

Piesiewicz denies the charges, stating he paid for the watch and personally lost approximately one million PLN on the exchange. The scandal has caused significant reputational damage to Polish Olympic sports, with officials expressing regret over being misled by his promises of new sponsorship and resources.

Four-time Olympic gold medalist Robert Korzeniowski has criticized Piesiewicz’s leadership, noting a shift toward clan-like behavior and the marginalization of dissenting voices. Korzeniowski also highlighted controversial attempts to amend the PKOl statutes, which he viewed as an effort to consolidate Piesiewicz’s power and eliminate oversight mechanisms such as the arbitration tribunal and women's commissions.