Amid doubts surrounding the case of Sejm Speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty’s alleged “eastern social and business contacts,” President Karol Nawrocki will invite the minister-coordinator of the special services, along with the heads of the intelligence agencies, to the Presidential Palace, presidential spokesperson Rafał Leśkiewicz announced.
“Gazeta Polska” recently revealed unclear business and social ties between Włodzimierz Czarzasty and a Russian national, Svetlana Chestnykh, who is said to have connections to the Kremlin. At the same time, it emerged that the leader of the Left has for years avoided submitting a security questionnaire and undergoing vetting by the services in order to obtain security clearance.
The controversy does not end there. The news portal Niezalezna.pl established that Czarzasty sits on the board of the Wielki Błękit Foundation, whose president is Marian Kubalica—an open supporter of Vladimir Putin who disseminates Russian propaganda and attacks Polish activists, including Andrzej Poczobut.
Meanwhile, today presidential adviser Stanisław Żaryn revealed Kremlin-linked connections involving a business associate of Svetlana Chestnykh.
Leśkiewicz: The President Will Invite the Minister for Talks on Czarzasty
Speaking at a Thursday briefing, presidential spokesperson Rafał Leśkiewicz said that during Wednesday’s session of the National Security Council, Czarzasty refused to answer questions. He also noted that Prime Minister Donald Tusk was absent from the portion of the meeting devoted to the matter.
“There were also no unequivocal answers coming from the minister-coordinator for the special services, Mr. Tomasz Siemoniak,” he said.
He added that in light of “these numerous ambiguities” and further press articles published on Wednesday, President Karol Nawrocki will invite the minister-coordinator for the special services, as well as the heads of the intelligence agencies, to the Presidential Palace to discuss the issue “in great detail, but within a limited circle and under the highest standards of state secrecy, in a very precise manner.”