You won’t find any information on the National Prosecutor’s Office website about yesterday’s conviction of Senator Krzysztof Kwiatkowski — but there is no shortage of statements concerning PiS MP Zbigniew Ziobro, who has not yet been charged.
“In a state governed by the rule of law, the innocent have nothing to fear. But in a lawless state, where the prosecution service has been seized by force, lawful court presidents removed, and dozens of judges pushed aside in criminal divisions — because the authorities do not trust them — and the random assignment of cases abolished, the innocent — if the authorities decree it — will end up behind bars,” emphasized Zbigniew Ziobro.
Kierwiński Goes After Ziobro Again: “You Are a Hypocrite”
Marcin Kierwiński, Minister of the Interior and Administration, published a post today in which he once again attacked Zbigniew Ziobro, the former justice minister in the PiS government.
“Regarding Ziobro: the duty of the Polish state is to bring every person suspected of committing a crime before the justice system. Every person. Ziobro is no exception,” he wrote.
His post triggered a strong reaction from PiS MEP Maciej Wąsik.
“You are a hypocrite. The dismissal of the case against Nowak without any objection from the prosecution, the dropping of corruption proceedings against Grodzki, Giertych, the money-laundering case against Kramek, etc. You apply the Neumann doctrine. But reality plays tricks, and swords turn out to be double-edged,” wrote the politician from the largest opposition party.
Earlier, Prime Minister Donald Tusk published a post stating that “accountability is entering a decisive phase.”
“The state acts patiently, consistently, and in accordance with the law. There are no more sacred cows. The innocent have nothing to fear. The guilty certainly do,” Tusk declared.
Tusk received a response from Ziobro. The PiS MP reiterated that “in a state governed by the rule of law, the innocent have nothing to fear, but in a lawless state — where the prosecution has been taken over by force, lawful court presidents have been removed, dozens of judges pushed aside in criminal divisions because the authorities do not trust them, and the random allocation of cases abolished — the innocent, if the authorities decree it, will end up behind bars.”
“That is why a depraved government must be resisted, not obeyed!” he concluded.
And What About the Kwiatkowski Case?
Attorney Adam Gomoła pointed out that Prosecutor Żurek treats the case of convicted Krzysztof Kwiatkowski very differently from the case of Zbigniew Ziobro, who has yet to be charged.
“It is interesting that on the website of the National Prosecutor’s Office — where it is usually bursting with announcements about charges against opposition politicians — there is not a single mention of the undeniable success of the ‘National Office’ in the form of the non-final conviction of former NIK president and former justice minister Krzysztof Kwiatkowski. Instead, there is an announcement about initiating proceedings to bring former minister Zbigniew Ziobro before the State Tribunal, even though he has not been presented with any charges — let alone a verdict,” he said.
The lawyer also asked: “Has an analogous procedure been initiated with respect to the former NIK chief, who was convicted by the District Court for an act that (as Onet reports) was related to his official duties?”
The Hunt for Ziobro
In November, the Sejm lifted the immunity of former justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro in connection with 26 charges that the National Prosecutor’s Office plans to bring against him in proceedings concerning the Justice Fund.
MPs also agreed to his detention and the use of temporary arrest. The opposition interprets these actions as a politically motivated act of revenge against the MP. The PiS politician is currently in Hungary, arguing that under the rule of the “December 13 coalition,” he has no chance of a fair trial in Poland.
Recently, TV Republika reported that the District Court for Warsaw-Mokotów had asked the Convoy Division of the Warsaw Metropolitan Police to secure the date of a hearing scheduled for December 22 concerning suspect Zbigniew Tadeusz Ziobro, citing procedural caution.