Zbigniew Stonoga

Zbigniew Stonoga ([ˈzbiɡɲɛf stɔˈnɔɡa]; born 17 October 1974 in Ozimek) is a Polish entrepreneur, businessman, activist and philanthropist who gained notoriety as a whistleblower for the publication of the investigation files concerning the Polish bugging scandal (2014–2015), known as Waitergate, and for anti-government activity. Founder of the short-lived Stonoga Party Poland (also known in English as The Centipede Party, since Stonoga translates as "centipede"). Founder of Gazeta Stonoga. Convicted for financial fraud.

Academic background

After graduating from an electrotechnical college, he started higher education which he did not complete. Claims to have studied law at the University of Warsaw; however, the University denies such person has ever attended the university.

Political career

In 2015 he ran in Polish parliamentary elections in which his party, Stonoga Party Poland, scored 0.4% (40 000 voters). After the results were announced, furious Stonoga uploaded a video to the internet in which he expressed his frustration with those who did not vote for him or for the Coalition for the Renewal of the Republic - Liberty and Hope.

His language is vulgar and direct, attracting the attention of young audiences.

In the 2000s Stonoga was named in a total of 89 criminal lawsuits.

In 2004 he was sentenced to 3.5 years' imprisonment for financial irregularities. In 2005 his sentence was quashed.

By 2015, he was named in 61 criminal cases related mostly to financial fraud and insulting public servants; he was sentenced to a year in prison for fraud on a private car sale.

On May 9, 2017, Stonoga was imprisoned at the Warszawa-Bialoleka correctional center for one year on charges of committing a large-scale financial fraud; the sentence was later shortened by 3 weeks.