A court in Poland has ordered the three-month detention of Robert Górny, a former board member of Polish online currency exchange Cinkciarz.pl, as part of a widening fraud investigation that has also implicated the company's president, Marcin Pióro.

However, since he is currently outside the country, no temporary detention was applied. According to the prosecutor’s office spokesperson, the charges against the two carry a potential penalty of up to 25 years in prison.

Cinkciarz.pl Former Board Member Detained in $12 Million Fraud Investigation

The Regional Court in Poznań, Poland, approved the prosecutor's request for temporary arrest on March 12, 2025, after Górny was apprehended by officers from the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime, working alongside the police.

Prosecutors have charged Górny participating in a fraud scheme that allegedly misled numerous individuals, causing financial losses exceeding 49 million Polish złoty (approximately $12 million). According to the Poznań Regional Prosecutor's Office, the suspect allegedly deceived customers about key aspects of contracts made through the Cinkciarz.pl mobile application, including the actual destination of funds collected from victims through online currency exchange and payment services.

The investigation claims these funds were diverted to finance operational activities of companies within the Conotoxia Holding Capital Group instead of being used for their intended purpose.

“Robert G., questioned by the prosecutor as a suspect, did not plead guilty to the alleged offense and provided a statement in which he presented his defense strategy,” the prosecutor’s office commented.

The court, in its written justification for the detention order, agreed with the prosecutor that the evidence gathered substantially supports the likelihood that Górny committed the alleged crime.

Until recently, Górny was a board member of Cinkciarz.pl sp. z o.o., as stated in the prosecutor's press release. However, Polish police now refer to him as a former member, which aligns with the current information on the fintech’s website, where his name no longer appears.

Meanwhile, Górny's LinkedIn profile states that he has worked for the past 14 years at a "Poland FinTech Company" in Zielona Góra, which most likely refers to Cinkciarz.pl, as the company is headquartered in that Polish city.

Cinkciarz.pl President President Also Charged

Prosecutors have also issued charges against Pióro, the President of Cinkciarz.pl's Management Board, who is currently outside Poland.

“The prosecutor issued a decision to press fraud charges against Marcin P., the CEO of Cinkciarz.pl sp. z o.o. However, no procedural actions have been carried out against him due to his presence outside the country,” the Polish Police commented in a separate statement.

Both suspects face potential sentences of up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

Regulatory Actions

The investigation follows the Polish Financial Supervision Authority's (KNF) October decision to revoke the payment services license of Conotoxia, a company owned by Cinkciarz.pl. Prior to this action, customers had complained about delays in currency exchange transactions and money transfers.

By January 2025, approximately 1,200 affected Cinkciarz.pl customers had filed complaints with the prosecutor's office. In December, prosecutors blocked 328 bank accounts belonging to the company.

The Poznań Regional Prosecutor's Office has described the case as "developing," suggesting further actions may be forthcoming as the investigation continues.