Agents of the Central Anti-corruption Bureau or CBA searched two apartments belonging to the president of the Supreme Audit Office, Marian Banaś. The officers of the CBA also entered Banaś’s office. According to the Supreme Audit Office’s spokesperson, both representatives of the Supreme Audit Office and the building’s security were against the CBA’s actions. In a letter to the Speaker of the Sejm, Marian Banaś firmly stated his opposition to such operations which he described as unprecedented.
The searches are connected with the investigation regarding the property declarations of Marian Banaś. The spokesman for Mr Banaś stated that the apartments are protected by immunity thus making the actions of the CBA illegal. What’s more, the officers of the Central Anti-corruption Bureau entered the headquarters of the Supreme Audit Office with a warrant to search president Banaś’s office. The opposition argues that the actions of the CBA are politically motivated and claims they are designed to cover up the recent discussions over the inappropriate gesture of MP Lichocka as well as the matter of 2 billion zloty allocated for public media. The Law and Justice politicians responded that such accusations are absurd.
“When it was the right time to control Mr Banaś, the heads of the services congratulated him on his appointment to the position of president of the Supreme Audit Office. Now, when they’re having image issues, they suddenly reminded themselves about him. It’s nothing more than a distraction”, stated Marcin Kierwiński of the Civic Platform party.
Senator of the Law and Justice party, Jan Maria Jackowski in turn responded by saying:
“If we looked at it the way the opposition does, then the CBA couldn’t do anything, since there will always be something happening in politics and they would always be accused of being politically involved”.
The CBA’s operation coincided with the last day in office of the chief of the Bureau, Ernest Bejda. Today, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced the appointment of the new head of the Bureau, Colonel Andrzej Strużny.