Polish prosecutors charge suspect in Zondacrypto probe, seek pretrial detention

Polish prosecutors investigating cryptocurrency exchange Zondacrypto, have formally charged an individual, identified as Romana Ż., with participating in an organized criminal group and allegedly misappropriating 7.8 million zlotys ($2.1 million) in user funds.

Prosecutors also asked the Katowice-Wschód District Court to place the suspect in pretrial detention, citing concerns that he could flee or interfere with the investigation, according to an official announcement on Monday.

Romana Ż. was detained on Sept. 5 over concerns they might flee and was subsequently questioned by prosecutors. The suspect denied the charges and provided a statement, according to Poland’s National Prosecutor’s Office.

Prosecutors allege Romana Ż. acted with others to misappropriate funds entrusted to the exchange by making unauthorized changes to computer records and interfering with the processing and transmission of exchange data.

The charges come after three others detained on Sept. 2 were charged in the investigation over allegations including money laundering, misappropriation of company assets and participation in an organized criminal group. A Polish court ordered all three held in pretrial detention for up to three months.

As Cointelegraph previously reported, prosecutors estimated losses connected to Zondacrypto at no less than 350 million zlotys. The investigation was also merged in July with a probe into the 2022 disappearance of Sylwester Suszek, the founder of BitBay, which was later renamed Zondacrypto.

Zondacrypto’s Estonian operator, BB Trade Estonia, was declared bankrupt in August, with its first creditors’ meeting scheduled for Sept. 17.

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