On Tuesday, President Andrzej Duda announced that he had requested explanations from Prime Minister Donald Tusk regarding the interrogation of Barbara Skrzypek. The president described the case as shocking, raising doubts and having a “state-level aspect.” He expressed hope for a response and a thorough investigation.
Tusk and Trzaskowski Remain Silent
On Wednesday, the Prime Minister wrote on platform X: “Mr. President. Restoring the rule of law after eight years of lawlessness, for which you are partly responsible, was and remains the primary goal of my government. The times when the president, prime minister, or party leader influenced investigations are over. Please try to get used to it.”
During a press conference on Wednesday, Nawrocki, asked about this exchange, stated that Prime Minister Tusk “has led to a situation where the Polish prosecution has become an extension of the political party of Prime Minister Donald Tusk.”
“What Prime Minister Donald Tusk has done regarding the functioning of the Polish prosecution, despite the resistance of many honorable prosecutors who feel ashamed to be part of it, is a breach of the social contract and the normal functioning of the Polish state. In this context, I agree with the president,” Nawrocki assessed.
“The silence of Donald Tusk and my main opponent Rafał Trzaskowski in this terrible matter is equally telling,” Nawrocki added.
She Testified and Died Three Days Later
Barbara Skrzypek, a long-time associate of PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński, passed away on Saturday, March 15. A few days earlier, on Wednesday, March 12, she was interrogated as a witness in an investigation concerning the company Srebrna; the interrogation at the District Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw was conducted by prosecutor Ewa Wrzosek.
Two representatives of the injured party, Austrian businessman Gerald Birgfellner, attorneys Jacek Dubois and Krystian Lasik, also participated in the interrogation. Prosecutor Wrzosek excluded Barbara Skrzypek’s legal representative from the interrogation.
PiS politicians, including party leader Jarosław Kaczyński, believe there is a connection between Skrzypek’s interrogation and her death. They argued that she had complained of health issues, and her legal representative, attorney Krzysztof Gotkowicz, was not allowed to attend the interrogation.
The Protocol is Now Public
The District Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw informed that Skrzypek’s interrogation lasted from 10:00 AM to 2:40 PM with a short break. After the interrogation, the protocol was read and signed by all parties. Skrzypek left the prosecutor’s office in the presence of Gotkowicz. The interrogation protocol is now available on the prosecutor’s website.
Bodnar instructed the National Prosecutor to ensure that all circumstances of Skrzypek’s death are clarified “meticulously, comprehensively, and transparently.” Since Monday, the investigation into the unintentional causing of death, under the supervision of the National Prosecutor, has been conducted by the Warsaw-Praga District Prosecutor’s Office. On Tuesday, an autopsy was ordered; preliminary results indicate that the cause of death was a very extensive heart attack. However, what triggered it remains undetermined.