Poland
Poland's Lepper May End Up In Jail Soon
Warsaw, Poland 16 January, 2007 – Poland's Deputy Prime Minister, Andrzej Lepper may have a suspended sentence lifted and have to start serving a jail sentence if a court accepts a new case that has been filed against him.
In 2001, Andrzej Lepper made accusations of impropriety against several people, one of which was Andrej Olechowsky.
In 2005 the court held in favor of Olechowsky, et al. and sentenced Lepper to five years and a fine of 20,000 , suspended for five years, provided that Lepper not commit an offense similar to the one at hand. If he is convicted of a similar crime, the suspension will be automatically lifted.
Lepper appealed the decision and the appeal court added 50,000 to the fine and let the original ruling stand.
But as soon as he left the Court Room after the first sentencing, Lepper announced that he was not changing his mind. He asked rhetorically where would one suppose Olechowsky got all the money he had? As an agent? Of PRL?
Olechowsky filed a new case against Lepper and claims that the slander is similar to the first. That would lift the suspension in the original case.
Because the Warsaw Courts are overloaded, the case is not likely to be scheduled before late spring this year.
Lepper has other troubles at hand. In 2002 he dumped grain from rail cars and a case is pending against him for that. If he is convicted of the charges against him he can be sentenced up to five years in jail.
The current investigation in the sex for work scandal is moving along with rumors everywhere.
One rumor says that charges will not be filed.
Another rumor says that the Government special services secretly obtained DNA from him to check paternity.
According to a report in a Lodz newspaper, the secret services took DNA from a fork Lepper had used for eating. It is said that they want to check paternity before the Government goes forward with charges and procedures to lift his parliamentary immunity.
