Freezing of accounts by law enforcement authorities
Reports 12.10.2022
It’s hard to explain to someone who has never been accused of a crime that they cannot use their own money, and this situation could last for months. Nonetheless, an institution exerting this effect functions under Polish law and can impact both individuals and companies
This institution is the freezing of accounts. In general it is used where there is a suspicion that funds in an account have a criminal origin or are related to an offence. This institution is grounded in several sets of regulations in Poland, and how it is applied differs under each act.
In this report we examine the institution of freezing of accounts in Poland. We discuss in detail issues of the conditions for ordering a freeze of accounts (who can do so, under what circumstances, and for what duration), the procedures followed, and measures that can be taken to protect against a freezing of accounts.
We hope you find this publication useful.
