In a developing political and legal controversy, attorney Michał Skwarzyński has voiced concerns about potential moves to remove several Deputy Prosecutors General from office. Speaking in an interview on Telewizja Republika, Skwarzyński warned that these dismissals could be orchestrated by Adam Bodnar—referred to simply as “Bodnar” in the discussion—who may attempt to replace “old” deputies not appointed by him.
The backdrop to Skwarzyński’s warning is the recent statement from Bogdan Święczkowski, the President of Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal (Trybunał Konstytucyjny). Święczkowski announced that he had submitted a notification of an alleged coup d’état, implicating former Prime Minister Donald Tusk, current government ministers, members of the ruling coalition, and several lawyers. In his statement, Święczkowski claimed that these figures had committed acts amounting to an attempted overthrow of the constitutional order.
According to Święczkowski, Prosecutor Michał Ostrowski—who serves as a Deputy Prosecutor General—has officially launched an investigation into the coup allegations. This has raised further questions about how the case will be handled and whether Ostrowski will continue to lead it.
Skwarzyński cautioned that there may be an effort to sideline Ostrowski by transferring the investigation to a “rank-and-file prosecutor,” thus diminishing Ostrowski’s role. He also suggested that Bodnar could remove long-standing deputy prosecutors who did not receive their appointments during Bodnar’s tenure:
“In this moment, all prosecutors who are Deputy Prosecutors General and were appointed not by Bodnar—illegally, in his view—but rather those who are the ‘old’ deputies, will be removed from the Prosecutor’s Office. That is my prediction. It will concern several prosecutors who hold this status.”
While it remains unclear whether Bodnar will indeed seek the dismissal of these deputies, the looming possibility has stirred significant discussion among legal experts and political observers. Many are waiting to see how this potential shake-up in the Prosecutor General’s office might impact the high-profile investigation into the alleged coup.
For now, the situation is fluid. Legal analysts note that any attempt to remove deputies could lead to further tensions between various branches of government and the Prosecutor General’s office, potentially triggering a broader crisis in Poland’s already heated political environment.