4.  The applicant was born in 1950 and lives in Koluszki, Poland. 5.  Between 1991 and 1993 the applicant was the Head of the Civic Gasification Committee of the “Łódzkie” housing co-operative (Społeczny Komitet Gazyfikacji “Os. Łódzkie”). 6.  In July 1995 the Board of the Koluszki Commune (Zarząd Miasta i Gminy) requested the prosecution service to initiate an investigation against the applicant for not returning documents concerning the Committee. 7.  On 16 October 1995 the applicant was charged with having hidden the documents. 8.  On 2 January 1996 the applicant was indicted before the Tomaszów Mazowiecki District Court (Sąd Rejonowy). 9.  On 9 May and 13 November 1996 the District Court held hearings. On the latter date it gave a judgment in which it found that the applicant had committed the offence. The trial court conditionally discontinued the proceedings. The applicant was given a term of probation of one year and ordered to pay PLN 300 to a charity. The applicant appealed. 10.  On 23 September 1997 the Piotrków Trybunalski Regional Court (Sąd Wojewódzki) held a hearing and on 25 September 1997 it dismissed the applicant’s appeal. 11.  In May 1998 the applicant lodged a cassation appeal with the Supreme Court (Sąd Najwyższy). 12.  On 9 January 2001 the Supreme Court dismissed the cassation appeal as manifestly ill-founded.