Fugitive Polish minister flew to US from Italy, prosecutors say
Details Emerge on Zbigniew Ziobro's Departure and Legal Situation
Timeline of Events
WARSAW, May 20 (Reuters) - Fugitive former Polish justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro, who faces charges stemming mainly from his alleged misuse of money for political gain, flew to the United States from Milan airport on May 9, a spokesperson for Polish prosecutors said.
U.S. Visa Facilitation
Reuters reported this week, quoting three people familiar with the matter, that U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau instructed senior State Department officials to facilitate and approve a visa for Ziobro, allowing him to flee to the U.S. from Hungary.
Official Confirmation of Departure
"For several days now we have had official information that the suspect, Zbigniew Ziobro, left Europe on May 9 and flew from Milan... to New York by plane," state prosecution spokesman Przemyslaw Nowak told reporters.
Travel Documentation and Media Role
The former minister travelled on a foreign media journalist visa, he added. Ziobro announced after arriving in the U.S. that he would be a correspondent for a right-wing Polish TV station.
Legal Status and Defense
Geneva Passport and Asylum
His lawyer, Bartosz Lewandowski, earlier confirmed Ziobro had received a "Geneva passport" - a document that allows refugees to travel - issued by Hungary after obtaining asylum in that country under its previous nationalist government.
Lawyer's Statement
"My client would like to emphasize that at the time of his departure, he was not an internationally wanted person and was not prohibited from travelling to the U.S.," Lewandowski said in a statement emailed to Reuters.
Charges and Political Context
Ziobro, who served in the nationalist Law and Justice government which lost power in 2023, faces 26 charges, mainly relating to misuse of money from a fund intended to help victims of crime for political gain.
Ziobro's Response
He denies wrongdoing and says he is the victim of a politically motivated campaign by Poland's ruling pro-European Union coalition.
(Reporting by Anna Wlodarczak-SemczukEditing by Gareth Jones)
