As reported by Radio Wrocław, the appellate court there reduced the sentence imposed on a priest from Legnickie Pole to 14 months of unconditional imprisonment. (Previous sentence: 2 years in prison.) The convicted man must also pay a PLN 15,000 fine and return the embezzled amount.
As we reported last winter, the money (PLN 1.2 million) embezzled by Rev. Włodzimierz G., the former parish priest of the Parish of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and St. Hedwig of Silesia in Legnickie Pole, came from the budgets of the Ministry of Culture and the local municipality. It was intended for the renovation of the Basilica in the aforementioned town.
After the irregularities were detected, the clergyman was suspended by Bishop Andrzej Siemieniewski.