The Speaker of the Polish Senate, Tomasz Grodzki, announced yesterday that he had summoned the president of the highest auditing body in Poland, namely the Supreme Audit Office, Marian Banaś, to testify in front of a senate investigative commission in relation to his nomination to the position of head of the Supreme Audit Office. The peculiar nature of this case is increased by the fact that the Constitution does not require the President of the Supreme Audit Office to respect such a summons.
”Tomorrow is the day the Speaker of the Polish Senate, Tomasz Grodzki, will send an official note to the president of the Supreme Audit Office, Marian Banaś, informing him that he has been called to testify in front of a senate investigative commission. The basis of the move is supposedly the fact that the Senate was involved in Mr. Banaś nomination proceedings and has some additional questions”- says Aleksandra Zarzycka, Tv Republika.
”From what I understand, the lower house, Sejm, also made some moves in order to summon Mr. Banaś. Because we are part of the nomination process of the President of the Supreme Audit Office, we want to ask him about some details, mainly concerning lack of knowledge during the election process. I am under the impression that it could have influenced the final voting result”- says tomasz Grodzki, Senate speaker,Civic Coalition.
”I think that this would resolve all doubts surrounding the nomination process and cut all the media speculation about him allegedly avoiding contacts with the media. I think that the senate committee forum is a good place for a substantive discussion about the Supreme Audit Office, about the plans of its president for the next term of that body. Let’s remember that this is a six year term and it is important to find out what are the priorities of the president and what kind of additional audit processes he is planning in addition to those that are routine. So, the substantive discussion about its work is most desirable”- says Jan Maria Jackowski,senator,Law and Justice.
”This is a decision made by the Senate. MPs do not control what the Senate is doing, so since speaker Grodzki is from the opposition he acts on his own and he does not consult, nor coordinate, his actions with us”- says Marek Suski, MP, Law and Justice.
”The Speaker of the Polish Senate, Tomasz Grodzki gave assurances that the discussion will be intense but also substantive. That is, if such discussion takes place at all since the president of the Supreme Audit Office is not legally obliged to react to such summons”- says Aleksandra Zarzycka, Tv Republika.