9.  The applicant was born in 1946 and lives in Wrocław. 10.  On 13 March 1996 after a search of the applicant’s flat, he was arrested on suspicion of an attempt to swindle money in VAT refunds. 11.  On 15 March 1996 the prosecutor issued an order of detention against the applicant on charges of tax fraud and obstructing the conduct of the criminal proceedings against A.S. by inciting witnesses to give false testimony. 12.  On 1 April 1996 the applicant’s lawyer’s appeal against the decision of 15 March 1996 was dismissed by the Wrocław Regional Court. The court considered that the applicant’s detention was justified by the existence of strong evidence of his guilt, the gravity of charges against him and in order to secure the proper course of the proceedings. 13.  On 4 April 1996 the Wrocław Regional Prosecutor rejected the appeal against the decision of 15 March 1996 filed by the applicant himself, observing that it had been submitted too late. 14.  On 26 April 1996 the Wrocław Regional Prosecutor dismissed the applicant’s motions of 28 March and 19 April 1996 to be released, referring to the charges against him and considering that the applicant’s case did not disclose any of the grounds for release provided by Article 218 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. 15.  On 7 June 1996 the Wrocław Regional Court prolonged the applicant’s detention on remand until 31 August 1996. The court relied on the strong probability of the applicant’s guilt, the gravity of charges against him and the high risk of his hindering the proper conduct of the proceedings. 16.  On 7 June 1996 the Wrocław Regional Court dismissed the applicant’s appeal against the decision of 4 April 1996 given by the Wrocław Regional Prosecutor. On 14 June 1996 the Wrocław Appellate Prosecutor dismissed the applicant’s appeal against the decision of 26 April 1996, considering that the available evidence strongly supported charges against the applicant and having regard to the Wrocław Regional Court’s opinion expressed in the decision of 7 June 1996. 17.  By a decision of 25 June 1996 the Wrocław Court of Appeal upheld the decision of 7 June 1996, pointing out that the applicant’s case disclosed the existence of grounds for detention provided under Section 209 and 217 § 1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. 18.  On 5 July 1996 the Wrocław Court of Appeal dismissed the applicant’s lawyer’s appeal against the decision of 7 June 1996 given by the Wrocław Regional Court. The court recalled that the applicant’s appeal against this decision had already been examined. The court referred to the reasoning of its decision of 25 June, observing that no new circumstances in the case had come to light. On 16 July 1996 the Wrocław Appellate Prosecutor dismissed the applicant’s and his lawyer’s appeals against the decision of 7 June 1996 given by the Wrocław Regional Prosecutor relying on the grounds invoked in the previous decisions. 19.  By a decision of 7 August 1996 the Wrocław Regional Prosecutor, in view of the fact that the investigation in the case had been almost completed, quashed the detention order and replaced it with a bail of 5000 PLN and a prohibition on leaving the country. 20.  It is not in dispute that neither the applicant nor his lawyer were allowed by law to participate in any of the sessions held by the courts in connection with his applications for release or his subsequent appeals. These sessions were held in camera. 21.  The criminal proceedings against the applicant are currently pending. No judgment on the merits of the case has been given so far.