Arrests in PFN case: MP Sasin accuses prosecution of retaliation against Nawrocki
CBA arrested a director from the President's Office and a former official regarding a PFN billboard campaign. Law and Justice MP Jacek Sasin speaks of political retaliation.
Sasin: PFN arrests are retaliation against President Nawrocki
As reported by polsatnews.pl, the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau detained two people on Wednesday morning in Warsaw in connection with an investigation into irregularities at the Polish National Foundation. They are Piotr Matczuk, former head of the Government Information Centre during the cabinet of Beata Szydło, and Anna Plakwicz, director of the President's Events Office at the Office of President Karol Nawrocki.
Both were transported to the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Rzeszów, which is conducting the proceedings in the case. In the afternoon they were informed of the charges against them.
— On Wednesday morning in Warsaw, on the order of the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Rzeszów, CBA officers detained Piotr M. and Anna P. — confirmed Jacek Dobrzyński, spokesman for the minister coordinating special services.
Charges and penalties at stake
Dorota Sokołowska-Mach, spokeswoman for the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Rzeszów, explained at a press conference that the gathered evidence had made it possible to present the detainees with charges related to causing large-scale property damage to the Polish National Foundation — in connection with the implementation and financing of the "Fair Courts" media campaign. The suspects face up to 10 years in prison. The prosecutor imposed police supervision on them combined with a ban on contacting other suspects and a ban on leaving the country.
Matczuk and Plakwicz jointly established the company Solvere, which carried out the high-profile "Fair Courts" billboard campaign for the PFN. The investigation includes, among other things, suspicion of abuse of authority and exceeding of duties by members of the foundation's board in 2017. Billboards with slogans concerning court reform appeared in Polish cities at that time — one of them stated: "Yes, it is: judges about themselves 'an exceptional caste'. This is how it will be: judges, like all citizens — when they break the law, they bear responsibility".
Sasin: "Political dimension"
Law and Justice MP Jacek Sasin, speaking in the programme "Guest of Events", assessed that both arrests have a "political dimension" and constitute retaliation against the president.
— It is difficult not to arrive at the conviction that this is retaliation and retaliation against the president and the President's Office, because Ms Anna Plakwicz is an important director in the president's office — said the MP.
Sasin stressed that both Matczuk and Plakwicz had previously responded to prosecution summonses as witnesses and remained at its disposal.
— Both of you today detained and interrogated by the prosecution, were already interrogated earlier as witnesses, always responded to prosecution summonses, were at the prosecution's disposal. There was no reason to do this — he argued.
Czarzasty announces further arrests
Sasin drew attention to the words of Sejm Speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty, who acknowledged that "this is the beginning of arrests also in the President's Office". The Law and Justice politician saw this as confirmation of the political character of the actions.
— This is precisely what shows that this is supposed to be a certain retaliation. There were these announcements of striking at the office, at the president's circle. I understand that this was implemented today. And what is absolutely scandalous is that Speaker Czarzasty is announcing some further arrests, further detentions — declared Sasin.
The Law and Justice MP asked how the Sejm Speaker possessed knowledge of further actions planned by the prosecution against people from the President's Office.
"Fair Courts" campaign — controversies
Sasin also responded to assessments of the campaign as partisan. He denied the allegations made by his interlocutor, Piotr Witwiski, who suggested that the action had a partisan character.
— Any activity that takes place during any period of government can be treated as party activity with enormous bad faith — stated the politician.
According to Sasin, the "Fair Courts" campaign was aimed at "politically engaged lawyers breaking the law" — he mentioned Minister Żurek in this context. He simultaneously noted that the vast majority of lawyers behave in accordance with standards and he did not intend to make generalisations. He added that the action was intended to promote Poland as a country that is "honest, with principles and certain standards".
The investigation by the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Rzeszów into the PFN concerns a range of irregularities, including the mechanism of financing the aforementioned billboard campaign.
Source: Google News PL