Studies and courses for public money. We reach more names

The officials enrolled in private studies and courses, but residents paid for their “advanced education.” When we asked the District Office in Trzebnica about the matter, some of the names were hidden from us. Now we are revealing them. But that is not the end.

The Collegium Humanum scandal began with an article in Newsweek. That's when journalists revealed that the university was issuing MBA diplomas on a mass scale. It quickly turned out that it was a kind of "cadre factory" for PiS activists, but not only that. MPs, politicians, local government officials - and from almost all parties - also eagerly took advantage of the opportunity to obtain a diploma. Why did notables want to have such a diploma? Well, Law and Justice changed the qualifications for sitting on supervisory boards of state-owned companies. It was no longer necessary to pass a state exam, an MBA diploma from any university was enough. Today, the National Prosecutor's Office is conducting a wide-ranging investigation. The university's rector, Paweł Cz., was detained for many months because he agreed to cooperate with law enforcement agencies. Recently, one of the universities revoked his doctoral diploma, which he obtained there. Many people were detained in the case and charged. Among them are former PiS MP Ryszard Cz. and the mayor of Wrocław Jacek Sutryk (he agreed to provide full details - editor's note). The prosecutor's office claims that the investigation is ongoing and that further arrests may soon be made and many more people may face charges.

When the scandal came to light, it turned out that many local government officials had also signed up for private studies or courses and… financed them from public funds. Several of them did “MBA studies” at the infamous Collegium Humanum, but more on that in a moment.

After the first information about the procedure of financing private education with municipal money was revealed, our editorial office was asked to look into all local governments, because as our interviewees claimed, a similar procedure was used almost everywhere. We checked and it turned out that not everywhere, but in fact in many local governments, private studies or courses for civil servants were also paid for. At the end of February, we described our findings in detail. However, it was surprising that the District Office in Trzebnica showed us the contracts, but largely covered up the names and surnames of the civil servants. Our editorial office appealed to the Local Government Appeal Board, which overturned the decision of the district office.

The application was again submitted to the district governor Małgorzata Matusiak. On her behalf, the case was considered by a full-time board member - Agnieszka Brząkała from PiS. The councilor was given a full-time position and is handling applications for access to public information.

Brząkała reconsidered our application and on April 7 sent us a table in which all the names of people whose private education had been financed were entered, except for one. In the latter case, the following day she issued a decision in which she refused to provide the employee's name and surname, because, as she indicated, the employee was employed as part of so-called intervention work. We appealed the decision to the SKO again. In our opinion, it does not matter how long and on what terms someone has been working. What is important is that the starosty financed their private education, and if so, such information is public.

The most important thing is that this time the starosty revealed the names of officials who were not previously wanted to be revealed. In February of this year, we were only told that the studies in the amount of PLN 26,250 were financed for the starosta Małgorzata Matusiak , and the education of the then deputy starosta Grzegorz Terebun was also supplemented in the amount of PLN 8,750. The next name revealed was the then treasurer Barbara Andrzejewska , who was additionally paid the amount of PLN 4,900. And who were the other officials?

As we read in the documents, a study subsidy of PLN 5,099 was received by Robert Borczyk , who in 2020 continued his education at the Higher School of Vocational Education in Przemyśl.

Another person is Paulina Kazikowska, who in 2022 received PLN 4,050 in funding for studies at the WSB University in Poznań, and in 2023 she received another PLN 9,250 . In total, this amounts to PLN 13,300. This time, she was to study at the Heweliusz Institute.

Ewa Pietrzak also received PLN 5,650 in funding. In 2022, she was also to study in a private company under the sonorous name of the Heweliusz Institute. Joanna Jasłowska received the same amount, PLN 5,650 . She also studied in the aforementioned company in 2022. Let us recall that the starost Matusiak and the then deputy starost also studied in the Heweliusz Institute company. Iwona Kurowska , who received PLN 8,750 in funding from the starost's office, also studied in the same company.

Grzegorz Derela was supposed to continue his education at the Lower Silesian University of Applied Sciences. The starosty paid PLN 1,990 for him in 2022.

Anna Mądra-Kras also received PLN 720 for her further education in 2022 at the University of Humanities and Economics in Brzeg.

Another person is Aleksandra Bagińska , who in 2023 received funding in the amount of PLN 2,550 for education at the Wrocław University of Science and Technology.

Agata Samiło , who continued her education at the Wrocław University of Economics in 2023, also received PLN 2,220.

In turn, Urszula Kasprzyk received PLN 5,000 in funding for private education in 2022 and 23 at the Institute of Cultivation, Fertilization and Soil Science of the State Research Institute in Puławy.

The aforementioned official, whose name has not been given to us yet, was to study in 2022 and 23. The starosty paid PLN 2,100 for his education at the Jan Amos Comenius State Higher Vocational School in Leszno.

Let us add that in the indicated years, the total amount spent from the district's public funds on co-financing private training was: PLN 92,929.

The county officials, unlike two well-known people from the Trzebnica Commune, did not "study" at the Collegium Humanum. As we have shown, the universities were different. However, it is worth asking whether the additional education and knowledge and diplomas they acquired were related to their work in the office? After all, the county office, i.e. in reality the residents, paid for their education. The positive news is that they "did not study" at a university that, like the Collegium Humanum, issued MBA diplomas en masse to various people who, as we know today, did not even have to attend classes or received them for bribes.

Let us recall that when the scandal was going full circle, our editorial office received information that Mayor Marek Długozima and Council Chairman Mateusz Stanisz were also supposed to be studying at Collegium Humanum. Our informant said directly that their “studies” were paid for with public money. It quickly turned out to be true. Długozima had two contracts with the infamous school.

The first one, from June 29, 2021, amounted to PLN 9,900, and not PLN 9,600 as the mayor said. The agreement concerned co-financing of "postgraduate studies Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA)". The agreement and consent to spend municipal money were signed by the mayor's secretary Daniel Buczak and treasurer Barbara Krokowska. But that's not the end.

On the same day, June 29, 2021, Buczak signed another co-financing agreement with Długozim. It concerns the "Postgraduate Studies in Healthcare Management course". It was supposed to be a "training". The commune paid PLN 2,900.

Both applications for reimbursement of costs were signed by the mayor Krystyna Haładaj, Małgorzata Durbajło - Mrowiec (she was supposed to write a scientific paper with the mayor, which he presented while working on his doctorate, she also got a lucrative job in the commune) and the treasurer Barbara Krokowska. This last name was surprising, because on the one hand the treasurer signed the application, and on the other hand she countersigned the agreement and agreed to finance the studies from the commune budget.

The issue of MBA studies was very controversial. One of the residents wrote to us that the chairman of the council, Mateusz Stanisz, also studied at Collegium Humanum. We asked him about it a few months ago, but we didn't get a reply. And we wanted to know if his MBA was also financed from public money. The opportunity arose after the session.

- That's what I did, in the same manner as the mayor. They took place and I ended with an exam - replied Mateusz Stanisz.

Did you also have funding? - we asked the chairman, but instead of answering, he thanked us and ran away from our camera. You can watch the entire recording on the Portal NOWAGAZETA.pl

After a few weeks, we sent inquiries to municipal companies and entities. We got there. It turned out that his MBA studies at Collegium Humanum were co-financed by the Municipal Sports Center TRZEBNICA-ZDRÓJ Sp. z oo

- Dear Mr. Editor, in response to your message, I would like to inform you that funding for the indicated types of studies, in February 2021, in the amount of PLN 5,200.00 gross was received by Mr. Mateusz Stanisz. In this respect, the Company did not enter into a written agreement, the funding was granted in connection with the invoice, which I am sending in the attachment. Due to the right to privacy of a former employee, as well as due to the fact that during the period of granting the funding I was not a member of the Company's management board (I have limited knowledge in the above-mentioned scope), in case of further questions, please direct them directly to the person you are asking about - replied Magdalena Ciesielska - Wojda, President of the Management Board.

The answer is very interesting. It turned out that the company with Stanisz did not enter into any agreement for co-financing. Simply put, Collegium Humanum issued an invoice to the municipal company, and it paid for Mateusz Stanisz's MBA diploma. Was it legal?

Earlier this year, we asked the prosecutor's office about the "studies" of the council chairman and the mayor. In the case of Mateusz Stanisz, the prosecutor's office responded at the time:

- The investigation conducted by the Silesian Branch of the Department of Organized Crime and Corruption of the National Prosecutor's Office in Katowice against Paweł C. suspected of a crime under Article 258 § 3 of the Penal Code and others, and against a number of other persons, covers all cases of issuing false certificates and diplomas of graduation from Collegium Humanum SGM in Warsaw. So far, no activities have been carried out in this case with the participation of the Chairman of the City Council in Trzebnica, Mateusz Stanisz. At present, it is not possible to provide information on whether such activities are planned - replied Katarzyna Calów - Jaszewska, Spokesperson of the National Prosecutor's Office on January 15 this year.

Regarding the mayor, the prosecutor’s office indicated:

- In the case concerning the former Collegium Humanum university, the person you are asking about is not a suspect. However, it is not possible to provide information about any planned activities in the investigation - informed Katarzyna Calów - Jaszewska, spokesperson for the National Prosecutor's Office.

We then asked whether the prosecutor's office had already checked the thread concerning the MBA studies at Collegium Humanum of Mayor Marek Długozima, which were paid for with money from the Trzebnica City Hall, in the ongoing proceedings?

- In addition, I would like to kindly inform you that it is not possible to provide detailed information from the investigation, including information concerning individual threads being verified - said the prosecutor.