Polish PM Tusk signals decisive crackdown on corruption and abuse of office
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk accused President Nawrocki of sabotage over blocked officer promotions he signalled a “decisive phase” in efforts to hold public officials accountable for legal violations, saying the government is acting “patiently, consistently and in accordance with the law.”
Prime Minister Donald TuskPhoto: PAP/Paweł Supernak
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has signalled a “decisive phase” in efforts to hold public officials accountable for legal violations, saying the government is acting “patiently, consistently and in accordance with the law.”
Tusk added that there are no untouchables, and that the innocent have nothing to fear while the guilty will be held held accountable.
The remarks come amid high-profile convictions and investigations highlighting alleged abuses in both political and public institutions.
Earlier this week, the Warsaw District Court sentenced Civic Coalition (KO) senator Krzysztof Kwiatkowski and former PSL MP Jan Bury for abusing their powers in appointments at the Supreme Audit Office (NIK) in 2013.
Kwiatkowski received an eight-month suspended sentence, Bury six months, while a third defendant, former NIK deputy director Paweł A., was also handed six months suspended. The court additionally imposed fines of 50,000 PLN on Kwiatkowski and Bury, and 30,000 PLN on Paweł A.
The court found that Kwiatkowski, as NIK president, had acted against the public interest, while Bury had incited him to exceed his authority.
Paweł A. was convicted for passing information to Bury. In its ruling, the court said the offences undermined the authority and proper functioning of NIK and harmed candidates in appointment competitions, calling the sentences “just and fair.”
Separately, Poland’s Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA) has taken action against the Lux Veritatis Foundation, led by Tadeusz Rydzyk, securing documents as part of an investigation into seven contracts from 2017 to 2023.
Prosecutors allege irregularities linked to the Justice Fund, with claims that former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro instructed his deputy, Marcin Romanowski, to favour the foundation in awarding public grants.
The investigation follows earlier CBA scrutiny into the foundation’s public funding for the Museum “Memory and Identity” dedicated to Pope John Paul II, involving almost 219 million PLN.
Tadeusz Rydzyk has been summoned for questioning on 8 December, coinciding with his birthday, according to prosecutors.
(mp)
Source: PR24/IAR/X/@donaldtusk
