The probe has since been extended into next year, while 4 million euros sitting in one bank account have been frozen according to local news outlets.
The case is also tied to the disappearance of Suszek, who founded BitBay and served as its CEO before leaving the company. He disappeared in March 2022, several months after the rebrand.
Prosecutors merged the Zondacrypto investigation with the inquiry into Suszek’s disappearance in August, saying the circumstances surrounding the creation and operation of BitBay could help establish what happened to him.
Roman Ż., described by the Polish Press Agency as a former business partner of Suszek, was arrested Saturday in Poland’s Silesian region. His lawyer said he had helped manage BitBay before it became Zonda.
Ż. has been charged with two offenses, one of them fraud, and prosecutors plan to seek pretrial detention, attorney Błażej Gazda said Monday. The second allegation has not been publicly detailed and Ż. denied the charges and provided investigators with an extensive account, Gazda said.
Police seized valuable watches and documents connected to Zondacrypto during searches. Prosecutors said they ordered the arrest because they feared Ż. would flee after learning that he planned to travel to China.
