Roman Ż. charged with fraud and organized crime in Zondacrypto probe

Charges and interrogation in Katowice

Prosecutors in Katowice formally charged Roman Ż. on Monday following two days of questioning regarding the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange Zondacrypto. The suspect, who was a longtime business partner of missing exchange founder Sylwester Suszek, faces two charges covering fraud and participation in an organized crime group. Defense attorney Błażej Gazda stated that his client denies any wrongdoing and that his operational knowledge was strictly limited to managing the BitBay entity during the period that brand operated.

My client did not plead guilty, he provided extensive explanations.

The questioning at the Silesian branch of the National Prosecutor's Office began around 9:00 on Monday morning and lasted approximately two hours. Prosecutor General spokesperson Anna Adamiak confirmed that Roman Ż. was brought in handcuffs for the session, while the defense confirmed that prosecutors plan to submit a motion for pre-trial detention that the defense will formally appeal.

Arrest over China travel plans

Officers from the Central Cybercrime Bureau and the Silesian police detained Roman Ż. in the Silesian Voivodeship on Saturday afternoon. Prosecutor General and Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek stated that authorities accelerated their intervention because law enforcement received intelligence indicating the suspect planned to depart for China.

We had to accelerate our actions because officers obtained information that Roman Ż. wanted to flee to China.

Defense attorney Gazda rejected the flight characterization, stating that his client held round-trip tickets to Beijing with a scheduled return on 13 September 2026 for a planned business trip. Gazda added that Roman Ż. had previously visited China in June and returned to Poland as scheduled. Following the arrest, officers searched both the suspect's registered residence and the location of his detention, securing exchange documents and luxury watches.

Broadening cryptocurrency probe

The Regional Prosecutor's Office in Katowice opened the Zondacrypto investigation in April to examine fraud of significant value and money laundering. Authorities have received several thousand criminal notifications from affected customers since the proceedings began. In August, investigators merged the case with the inquiry into the March 2022 disappearance of Sylwester Suszek, who established BitBay before the company rebranded as Zondacrypto.

Suszek's sister, Nicole Suszek, previously outlined the business relationship between her brother and the detained associate during an interview on TVN24's Superwizjer program.

I would say he was the hidden investor, and the entire brain of the operation was Sylwek, because the fact that Roman provided money did not mean he knew how to do it.

Political and business connections

The detention of Roman Ż. follows the arrest of three other individuals tied to the investigation on Wednesday, all of whom were remanded in custody by a court. The case has also surfaced in parliamentary discussions, where Prime Minister Donald Tusk cited witness statements alleging that former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro offered assistance to the exchange in exchange for payments directed to a foundation.

Ziobro denied any unlawful intervention while acknowledging that his foundation accepted a 450,000 PLN donation from a law firm headed by Przemysław Kral. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński stated on Sunday that the investigation is expanding as prosecutors review materials seized during the recent wave of searches.