Bribes for favorable decisions. Judgments regarding corruption in private universities

Bribes for favorable decisions

The sentences concern Marta G., Izabela B., Marek G., Rafał K., Waldemar U. and Marek W. The sentenced persons include: former rectors and vice-rectors of private universities.

According to the prosecutor's office, they provided financial benefits to persons performing public functions in the Polish Accreditation Committee. In return, they were to obtain positive decisions and other actions beneficial to the schools they managed.

These acts concerned the giving of:

the amount of PLN 155,628 by Waldemar U. in exchange for obtaining positive decisions for the Academy of Applied Sciences of the Society of Common Knowledge in Szczecin,

the amount of PLN 100,000 by Marek W. in exchange for obtaining positive decisions for the Management Staff College in Konin,

the amount of PLN 200,000 by Izabela B. jointly and in consultation with other persons in exchange for obtaining positive decisions for the University of Internal Security in Łódź,

the amount of PLN 650,000 by Rafał K. and Marek G. in exchange for positive decisions, including: for the Academy of Applied Sciences in Wrocław.

Penalties for the accused

Izabela B. and Marta G. received one-year prison sentences, suspended for three years. The first of them also has to pay PLN 30,000. PLN fine and cannot hold managerial positions in higher education for three years. PLN 3,000 was ordered against Marta G. PLN fine, forfeiture of PLN 75,000. PLN and probation officer's supervision.

Marek G. and Rafał K. were fined PLN 500,000 each. zloty. For two years they cannot hold positions, including managerial positions, in universities and educational system units (except kindergartens).

Waldemar U. is to pay PLN 50,000. PLN fine, and Marek W. – PLN 52.8 thousand. zloty. Both were also banned from holding managerial positions in universities for two years.

The judgment is not yet final

The court found that the circumstances of the crimes were beyond doubt and that the objectives of the proceedings would be achieved without a trial. The judgment is invalid. The prosecutor assessed it as correct.

Collegium Humanum scandal

The scandal surrounding Collegium Humanum concerns the mass trade in fictitious diplomas - primarily MBA postgraduate diplomas - in exchange for financial benefits. The private university offered instant courses, issuing documents without the need to actually participate in classes or take exams. These diplomas served, among others, politicians, local government officials, officials and managers to meet formal requirements allowing them to sit on supervisory boards of State Treasury companies and municipal companies. A multi-threaded investigation conducted by the Central Anticorruption Bureau and the prosecutor's office revealed an extensive corruption network, which involved, among others, former university rector, numerous politicians and representatives of local authorities from all over Poland.