Organiser of Brussels gay sex party may be Pole wanted by Polish police

UPDATE, 3 December, 17:18: Police in Kraków have told Gazeta Wyborcza that the Belgian authorities have identified the organiser of sex party as the Polish man being sought after fleeing a fraud conviction in his home country. The newspaper also spoke with members of the man’s family, who confirm it is him. Sources speaking to Onet have said the same.

The organiser of the gay sex party raided by police in Brussels on Friday – and which led to the resignation of a Hungarian MEP who attended – may be a Pole wanted by police in his homeland,

The man in question, however, denies it. He also claims in an interview with Polish media that senior figures from Poland’s anti-LGBT ruling party have attended his parties.

The host of the event has identified himself as David Manzheley. Polish police have since last year been searching for a man with an almost identical name – Dawid (the Polish spelling of David) Manzheley – and whose photograph looks similar to images of the party organiser.

Dawid is wanted for fraud, and police in the town of Wadowice, which is listed as his last place of residence, are now seeking to confirm with their Belgian counterparts whether the David in Brussels is the same person, reports RMF24.

David, however, denies that he is the person being sought by police. He told Polish news website Onet that he has been to Poland only twice, and has never heard of Wadowice. Speaking to Belgian media, he has identified himself as a 29-year-old Czech student, whereas the Dawid sought in Poland is listed as 36 and a Polish citizen.

In his interview with Onet, David also claimed that his sex parties – which he has been organising as a “hobby” for the last two years – have been attended by politicians from Poland’s ruling national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party.

This includes four attendees who come two or three times a year from Poland, he alleges. They are not MEPs, but hold “important” public roles in parliament and government, reports Onet.

“They say that, in order to keep their positions, they have to pretend to agree with their leaders,” said Manzheley. “That is why they come abroad for their fun. If this were to come out into the open in their countries, it would end their careers.”

PiS has for the last two years led a vocal anti-LGBT campaign, claiming that Poland is threatened by a dangerous, foreign “LGBT ideology” which threatens Polish culture, traditions, families and even, according to party chairman Jarosław Kaczyński, the nation itself.

Among those who attended last week’s sex party in Brussels was József Szájer, a leading politician from Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party. Szájer has been prominently involved in the anti-LGBT policies of Fidesz, which is a close ally of PiS.

Manzheley claimed to Onet that his parties attract politicians from Ukraine, France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Spain, but that Hungarians – including nine MPs and MEPs from Fidesz – and Poles attend the most often, reports Onet.

The party was raided after being reported to police by neighbours. Participants were fined for breaching coronavirus restrictions, while Szájer was captured after escaping through a window. Drugs were found in his bag, though he denies they were his. He has, however, resigned as an MEP and apologised.

There had also been initial reports that Polish diplomats were among those detained. However, that was later denied by prosecutors in Brussels, according to RMF24. One of the other attendees has been confirmed as an Estonian diplomat.

Main image credits: policja.pl

Maria Wilczek

Maria Wilczek is deputy editor of Notes from Poland. She is a regular writer for The Times, The Economist and Al Jazeera English, and has also featured in Foreign Policy, Politico Europe, The Spectator and Gazeta Wyborcza.