“The questioning of Barbara Skrzypek was conducted with the highest level of professionalism. Associating it with her death is an extraordinary act of malice,” emphasized attorney Jacek Dubois, who appeared at the prosecutor’s office on Monday as a witness. “There was no indication that she was stressed or feeling unwell,” he added. However, he speculated that “if Skrzypek was under stress, it might have been due to a desire to protect a third party from information she may have held.” He also stressed that Jarosław Kaczyński is a potential suspect in the case.
“Linking the Testimony to Her Death Is a Disgrace”
The Warsaw-Praga District Prosecutor’s Office continues its investigation into the involuntary manslaughter of Barbara Skrzypek, a longtime associate of Law and Justice (PiS) leader Jarosław Kaczyński. The proceedings are being overseen by the National Prosecutor’s Office.
Attorney Dubois — one of the two legal representatives of Austrian businessman Gerald Birgfellner, who has accused Kaczyński of failing to pay for work on the so-called “two towers” project — was present during Skrzypek’s March 12 testimony, which was conducted by prosecutor Ewa Wrzosek. Three days later, Skrzypek passed away, with preliminary autopsy results pointing to a heart attack. The PiS party has linked her death to the stress of the questioning and the fact that her legal representative was not allowed to attend.
“I’ve said this many times before — in my opinion, linking her questioning to her subsequent death is not only deeply unfair but also a political game. The questioning was carried out with utmost professionalism. There was nothing during it that could have triggered stress or impacted Ms. Skrzypek’s health,” Dubois told journalists.
He added that during a break in the proceedings, Skrzypek was “open, talkative, and curious about the world” — and that they had a pleasant conversation completely unrelated to the testimony, discussing topics like travel and the political satire show Ucho Prezesa.
Dubois Targets PiS and Kaczyński
Dubois also stated that Skrzypek’s legal representative, attorney Krzysztof Gotkowicz, was present in the building at the time, but that Skrzypek did not express any desire to speak with him, instead spending her time in casual conversation.
He went on to criticize the Law and Justice party, saying that Polish law should have long allowed all witnesses to have legal representation.
“I’m truly surprised that during its eight years in power, PiS did nothing to make this possible,” he remarked, adding that because of these laws, he himself has often been denied the right to attend witness hearings as legal counsel.
When asked why PiS politicians — including Jarosław Kaczyński — are linking Skrzypek’s death to her questioning, Dubois argued that this is an attempt by potentially implicated individuals to deflect blame.
“I’m used to situations where individuals who are potentially under investigation — and Mr. Kaczyński is potentially suspected of fraud in this matter — try to shift responsibility onto others. This is standard defense behavior: someone under suspicion always looks for scapegoats, anywhere but within themselves,” he concluded.
Asked whether Skrzypek’s contacts with Kaczyński might have played a role in the case, Dubois emphasized that she was only a witness.
“She was supposed to share her knowledge with the prosecutor’s office — information that had no impact on her legal standing. So, there was no reason for her to be stressed about the testimony itself. If there was any stress involved, it might have come from a desire to protect someone else from the information she had,” he said.
“This testimony was merely a confirmation of facts that had nothing to do with any legal liability on Ms. Skrzypek’s part. She was a regular witness, just like someone who witnesses a traffic accident. She was simply meant to describe the facts,” Dubois added.