Polish prosecutors have formally charged Roman Ż. with participating in an organized criminal group and misappropriating 7.8 million zlotys, which is approximately $2.1 million, in user funds from the Zondacrypto exchange.
The suspect was detained on September 5 and has denied all charges. Prosecutors have requested the Katowice-Wschód District Court to place him in pretrial detention to prevent potential flight or interference with the ongoing investigation.
The prosecution alleges that Roman Ż. and his accomplices misappropriated funds by making unauthorized changes to computer records and interfering with the processing and transmission of exchange data.
This action follows the detention of three other individuals on September 2, who face charges of money laundering, misappropriation of company assets, and organized crime. A court has ordered their pretrial detention for up to three months.
The total estimated losses associated with Zondacrypto are at least 350 million zlotys. The case has been merged with an investigation into the 2022 disappearance of BitBay founder Sylwester Suszek, the company that was later renamed Zondacrypto.
Additionally, the Estonian operator of the exchange, BB Trade Estonia, was declared bankrupt in August, with the first creditors' meeting set for September 17.
