“Out of all the approximately 60 disciplinary proceedings involving Mr. Waldemar Żurek, this case is indeed the most appalling,” stated Rafał Bochenek, commenting on the matter revealed today by the Niezalezna.pl portal. Earlier today, the portal reported that a criminal investigation is underway concerning Waldemar Żurek’s alleged falsification of documents “in the form of rulings by the Kraków Regional Court.” According to the files, Żurek was allegedly listed as a member of judicial panels in court while simultaneously attending meetings of the National Council of the Judiciary (KRS). According to Bochenek, such cases may have occurred more than once in the new justice minister’s career.
Rafał Bochenek (Law and Justice party) remarked that the ministers recently appointed by Donald Tusk were chosen for “suicidal missions” in which they must operate “without any restraints.”
“In my view, Waldemar Żurek is a thoroughly discredited person. A judge who engaged in various political initiatives, took part in political marches, met with politicians, and supported political movements. As a judge, he should not have done that, because it undermines the professional status he held—the status of a judge. A person who should be above reproach, a role model for society. Especially in light of his previous behavior—like demanding the return of alimony from his daughters or using questionable methods to obtain money for himself. It was a kind of attempt to scam the state for compensation,” – Bochenek recalled during an appearance on Telewizja Republika.
He also referred to the infamous incident involving Żurek’s tooth loss, which Żurek attributed to the harmful effects of Law and Justice’s governance. “This is a man without any scruples, a man capable of anything. And that’s probably why he became Minister of Justice,” Bochenek remarked.
Bochenek further addressed the findings published today by Niezalezna.pl:
“Out of all the approximately 60 disciplinary proceedings involving Mr. Waldemar Żurek, this case is indeed the most appalling. All signs indicate that Mr. Żurek was not in court when certain rulings were issued, even though he was listed as a member of the panels that issued them. At that time, he was apparently in Warsaw, attending sessions of the National Council of the Judiciary,” Bochenek said.
Such an offense carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.
“For years, this sort of thing was tolerated, but we don’t know if this is just a single case. It’s entirely possible that during the many years Mr. Żurek held key positions in various judicial associations, there were plenty of such incidents – cases where he was not physically present on judicial panels that issued rulings, yet somehow his signature ended up on the documents,” he added.