Romanowski seeks bail guarantee from Transnistria as Moldova confirms no controlled border crossing

Request from Tiraspol

Former deputy justice minister Marcin Romanowski, suspected of defrauding the Justice Fund, sent a letter from Tiraspol in Transnistria to the Warsaw District Court requesting a "list żelazny," a bail guarantee allowing him to answer charges while remaining free until a final verdict. The letter bears a Tiraspol postal stamp and address. Defense attorney Bartosz Lewandowski confirmed the application and a declaration that Romanowski is staying outside EU territory. Romanowski stated he legally holds a passport issued under a different identity, similar to witness protection arrangements, to move freely outside the EU. He indicated he intends to return to Poland but fears detention and temporary arrest upon arrival. According to Polityka.pl, the maneuver appears designed to withdraw the European Arrest Warrant issued for him, since such a warrant can be retracted if the wanted person is known to no longer be on EU territory.

Moldova's response

Moldova's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Wirtualna Polska that according to official data, Romanowski did not enter Moldovan territory through border checkpoints controlled by the constitutional authorities in Chisinau. The ministry added that the General Inspectorate of Police remains in constant contact with relevant Polish institutions to clarify the circumstances. Moldova's Bureau for Reintegration Policies separately told PAP it had received no information and no official request regarding the matter. National Prosecutor's Office spokesman Przemysław Nowak said the signature on the document is "similar" to Romanowski's and that the presumption of authenticity applies, but acknowledged that someone else could have mailed the letter from Transnistria on his behalf.

Legal complications from 2021 amendment

The court's decision is complicated by a 2021 amendment to the criminal procedure code (art. 281 § 2 k.p.k.) introduced by the Justice Ministry when Romanowski worked there. The amendment stipulates that during preparatory proceedings, a list żelazny can be issued only at the prosecutor's request or without a prosecutor's objection, giving the prosecutor the final word over the court. Judge Anna Ptaszek, spokesperson for the Warsaw District Court, said the court will decide "provided the prosecutor does not object." The Sejm later passed amendments removing the so-called "binding objections" of prosecutors, including in the list żelazny procedure.

Expert assessments

Former ABW counterintelligence officer Anna Grabowska-Siwiec told TVN24 she could not imagine Polish services conducting an expeditionary mission to territory under direct Russian supervision, noting that cooperation with Moldovan services might be the only path to establishing anything. Former head of the Foreign Intelligence Agency Grzegorz Małecki noted that if Romanowski is in Transnistria, he would have entered into relations with Russian services that control the area, who may be interested in his knowledge of how power functions in Poland. Former ambassador to Ukraine Bartosz Cichocki described Transnistria as a "parastate" unrecognized internationally and a "business entity."

Romanowski is protecting himself as best he can.

National Bar Council president Przemysław Rosati called the situation an obvious escape from justice.

This is a brazen, obvious escape from justice to avoid criminal responsibility.

Rosati noted that if Romanowski is in Transnistria, chances of his detention and transfer to Poland are practically zero. Romanowski would be the second figure linked to PiS and Solidarna Polska, after former judge Tomasz Szmydt implicated in a trolling affair, to find refuge in a country connected with the Russian Federation.

Transnistria's isolation

Transnistria formally remains part of Moldova but has operated outside Chisinau's control since the early 1990s, with its own administration, parliament, security forces, military, tax offices, and currency. No country recognizes its independence, including Russia, though Moscow supports the territory. Border crossings with Ukraine have been closed since 2022, leaving the only land route to the outside world through Moldova. The average salary is approximately 1,800 PLN, with GDP per capita comparable to Ghana.