Marian Banaś is preparing an “election bombshell” for the final stretch of the campaign. It’s possible that the report from the audit conducted by the Supreme Audit Office (NIK), which he heads, will be released around that time. The audit concerns the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN), currently led by Karol Nawrocki, who is running for president of Poland.
Speaking on Polsat News, Banaś stressed that the IPN audit “has no political undertones whatsoever.”
“We’re reviewing all expenses related to the functioning of the Institute of National Remembrance,” assured the NIK chief. When asked when the report would be published, he responded, “in two or three months.” He also noted that according to preliminary findings, “we are likely dealing with some serious irregularities.”
A Bombshell for the End of the Campaign?
The host pointed out that this timeline coincides with the final phase of the election campaign. Banaś replied that the audit had been scheduled in advance, as announced at the end of last year. However, Banaś’s assurances of political neutrality towards Karol Nawrocki—the head of IPN and a presidential candidate—are being questioned not only by PiS politicians but also by experts on intelligence and national security.
Arkadiusz Puławski, former Deputy Director of the National Security Department at the Prime Minister’s Office, wrote that this is “a textbook case.” He predicted the report would drop on the Friday before the pre-election media blackout. “Or maybe Thursday,” he added on X (formerly Twitter), “so that the headlines can hit Friday morning.” Professor Sławomir Cenckiewicz commented that people within NIK are saying the same thing.
Banaś’s Neutrality in Doubt
It’s worth recalling that in the summer of 2023, Marian Banaś met with Donald Tusk’s envoy—Warsaw lawyer Marek Chmaj, known for his involvement with the Open Dialogue Foundation and for defending the privileges of former communist security officers. A recording of the meeting was published by TVP Info. In it, Banaś is heard discussing a political arrangement with Chmaj, involving, among others, politicians from the Confederation party, including Banaś’s son, Jakub. During the meeting, Banaś outlined his plan for political action aimed at helping the Civic Platform (PO) in its efforts to change the ruling power in Poland.