The District Prosecutor’s Office in Bolesławiec conducted proceedings concerning the alleged exceeding of powers and failure to perform duties by mayor Joanna Świder, in connection with her dismissing Aleksandra Świątek as director of the Independent Public Healthcare Institution (SPZOZ) in Nowogrodziec, then reinstating her in the position but without the obligation to perform work. At the same time, the mayor employed another person in the position, which resulted in salaries being paid to two people employed in the same position. The period in question ran from October 2024 to March 2025.

The Bolesławiec prosecutor’s office had to check whether the official had thereby acted to the detriment of the public interest and Aleksandra Świątek’s private interests. What were the results of the prosecutors’ actions?

– By a decision dated June 20, 2025, the proceedings were discontinued under Article 17 due to the absence of the statutory elements of a prohibited act – prosecutor’s office head Sebastian Woźniak informed us.

Leszek Socha had known about the employment of the SPZOZ director by former mayor Robert Relich since the 2023 election campaign and commented unfavorably on the prosecutor’s decision.

– I do not suppose that the prosecutor’s office fulfilled all its duties in this case – explains Leszek Socha. – It seems to us that a situation is emerging in which a Polish official, regardless of what they do, is not really held accountable for their decisions, even though those decisions result in financial losses. In this case, official Joanna Świder decided to employ a director who either comes to work or does not, while the salary continues to be paid. It is understandable that this should cause outrage. But outrage should also be accompanied by the law and consequences. On what basis and under what circumstances was this woman appointed to the position? The course of her promotion and dismissal should be examined. I am surprised that the prosecutor’s office did not address this aspect, because a prosecutor is not a notary but a law-enforcement authority. This needs to be investigated! Article 17 itself refers to verification activities, and in my opinion all of this should have been clarified. What do we need the law for if, no matter what an official does, the law does not apply to them anyway? So, we have confusion, but no explanation – Leszek Socha concludes.

The mayor commented on the decision in an official letter:

The decision to discontinue the proceedings, issued by the District Prosecutor’s Office in Bolesławiec concerning the alleged exceeding of powers and failure to perform duties by the Mayor of Nowogrodziec, Joanna Świder, in connection with dismissing SPZOZ Director Aleksandra Świątek, confirms that the Prosecutor’s Office found no statutory elements of a prohibited act. This means that the actions of the Mayor of the City and Gmina of Nowogrodziec within the scope covered by the criminal proceedings were proper, namely they fell within her statutory powers and did not in any way violate the interests of the Gmina. This conclusion was obvious as soon as the notification of a suspicion that an offense had been committed was received; nevertheless, it is the Prosecutor’s Office’s duty to comprehensively clarify all the circumstances of the case, which it did.

I would like to point out that the further circumstances of the case related to the employment of Ms. Aleksandra Świątek only confirm the correctness and appropriateness of the actions taken by the Mayor of the City and Gmina of Nowogrodziec with regard to Ms. Aleksandra Świątek. As proceedings before the Labor Court are still pending, I am unable to comment on the matter in greater detail.
Joanna Świder, mayor of Nowogrodziec