On Thursday, the Rules Committee decided to recommend that the Sejm lift Zbigniew Ziobro’s parliamentary immunity and grant consent for his detention and temporary arrest. The request came from the prosecutor’s office, which included an expert medical opinion in its motion. The expert commented on the health condition of the politician battling cancer. However, the specialist had not even examined the former Minister of Justice. Still, according to prosecutor Piotr Woźniak, that was not a reason to question the doctor’s opinion.
On Thursday, the Parliamentary Rules, Deputies’ Affairs and Immunities Committee considered the prosecutor’s request to lift the immunity and authorize the detention and arrest of PiS MP Zbigniew Ziobro. The request was presented by prosecutor Piotr Woźniak, who discussed, among other things, the opinion concerning the health condition of the cancer-stricken politician. He noted that, according to the expert, Ziobro’s condition was good.
During the break, just before the vote on the motion, Niezalezna.pl journalist Tomasz Grodecki asked for clarification about the opinion in question. Woźniak confirmed that Ziobro had not been examined before the opinion was issued (!). “The expert concluded that there was no need for such an examination […] the expert did not require it,” he said.
When pressed on why the prosecutor’s office had not therefore appointed a second expert who might hold a different view, Woźniak replied that additional opinions are sought only when the first one “raises doubts.” This particular opinion, issued solely on the basis of medical records, did not, in his view, raise any doubts.
“Not for me. As the officer conducting the proceedings, I decide whether to appoint another expert or not […] I’m a public official; I submitted the request to lift the deputy’s immunity, so naturally, I take responsibility for it,”
he declared.
He assured that Ziobro could not be temporarily detained if he required medical treatment. At the same time, he stated that he expected the politician’s defense team to provide documentation confirming this after Ziobro’s detention. Only then would a doctor decide on the matter.
“Depending on what the documentation shows, of course, examinations will be carried out, and an opinion will be issued. In such cases, the rule is that if a person is detained and there are doubts about their health condition, the first step is to allow that person access to a doctor. The doctor then determines whether the person can be placed in what is known as a police detention facility,”
he said.
After more than three hours of deliberations, the Rules Committee decided to recommend that the Sejm lift the former Minister of Justice’s immunity and authorize his detention and temporary arrest.