Senator Stanisław Gawłowski, who was sentenced to five years in prison, continues to appear prominently at political gatherings. Although he formally suspended his membership in the Civic Coalition after the verdict was announced, he is still invited to prestigious meetings, undertakes political initiatives important for the party, and exerts influence over personnel policy in the West Pomeranian region. Tusk’s party is legitimizing the politician and sending a signal: “Nothing has happened, Poles.”
On Monday in Szczecin, the 2nd Forum of Suppliers for the Polish Wind Energy Sector began. At the gala held in the largest hall of the Szczecin Philharmonic, CEOs of major Polish companies, the minister of state assets, and leading politicians of the Civic Coalition from the West Pomeranian region were present.
Among them, seated in the very front row, was Senator Stanisław Gawłowski. This was no coincidence – the politician convicted of corruption is invited to virtually every major gathering in Szczecin. Members of the Civic Coalition behave as if the issue of the court verdict did not exist.
Two months after the sentencing verdict was announced, the mayor of Koszalin, Tomasz Sobieraj from the Civic Coalition, appointed Gawłowski to the city’s economic council. This is a prestigious advisory body to the mayor of Koszalin, tasked with supporting the city authorities. Its purpose is to “promote Koszalin as a city friendly to entrepreneurs, support the development of local companies, and build the city’s image.”
Even after the verdict was announced, Stanisław Gawłowski played a key role in efforts to liberalize statutory regulations concerning the construction of wind farms.
As a senator and chairman of the Senate’s climate committee, he initiated and pushed through significant amendments, such as removing spatial restrictions, which favored wind farm developers. These amendments were supported by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, but the final legislation failed because it was vetoed by President Karol Nawrocki.
Gawłowski also exerts influence over personnel policy in the West Pomeranian region. Individuals associated with him hold key positions in the region, including in the State Forests and the Fire Service. Attorney Rafał Wiechecki, who defended Gawłowski in the trial related to the irrigation corruption scandal, received legal service contracts from the Szczecin–Świnoujście Seaports Authority, the State Forests, and Radio Szczecin. He also sits on the supervisory board of the “Gryfia” Ship Repair Yard.
According to journalist and commentator Piotr Semka, it is highly characteristic that politicians from the Civic Platform who are convicted or face prosecutorial charges often gain a reputation as victims of persecution.
“During Gawłowski’s entire trial, that was the narrative,” Semka says.
“The mere fact that a Civic Coalition politician was held accountable during the rule of Law and Justice gave him the status of a victim. That is the case with Gawłowski, but the same situation applies to former minister Sławomir Nowak or Senator Tomasz Grodzki. In Gawłowski’s case, a symbolic moment occurred last year when he posed for photos with Minister Adam Bodnar during the ceremony awarding the Eric of Pomerania medals at the castle in Darłowo.”
Meanwhile, MP Dariusz Matecki believes the situation is scandalous and undermines the standards of public life.
“A man sentenced in the first instance to five years in prison shamelessly moves among the elite of the Civic Platform, appears at banquets, and influences personnel policy in Western Pomerania. Prominent politicians of the Civic Coalition see no problem in this and legitimize the presence of a person burdened with serious charges. It is a disgrace to the standards of public life,” he emphasized.
The verdict in the case of Senator Gawłowski, the former secretary-general of the Civic Platform, was issued in July last year. The District Court in Szczecin sentenced him to five years in prison for corruption offenses, money laundering, and plagiarism of his doctoral dissertation.
The ruling was issued by Judge Grzegorz Kasicki, who cannot be suspected of sympathy toward Law and Justice. Years ago he took part in protests against the judicial reforms introduced by Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, and after the most recent elections he was appointed by Minister Adam Bodnar as a disciplinary spokesperson at the Ministry of Justice.
The verdict is not final.
Gawłowski has appealed, and the appellate hearing is scheduled for mid-year at the Court of Appeal in Szczecin.