Polish Prosecutor Releases Political Bombshell
Warsaw, Poland December 20, 2011 - Polish politics has erupted after the Polish State Prosecutor asked to have the parliamentary immunity of one of Poland's prominent politicians, Antoni Macierewicz, waived in order to prosecute him for releasing classified information and for publishing false information.
Polish Sejm
Macierewicz, a leading member of the political party PIS, was the head of the Military Information Services (WSI) Verification committee, and the head of Military Counterespionage.
In February 2007 he authorized publication of a report on the dismantling of the WSI. It describes the activity of the military intelligence under communism and during the 3rd Republic. The report contained information about the illegal trade in arms, involvement in fuel scams, and surveillance of the political groups. It also published the names of agents, military members and civilian staff of WSI.
The prosecutor wants to charge him with releasing classified information, exceeding his powers and publishing false information.
Some of the people mentioned by name filed law suits demanding apologies and compensation. So far the courts have ruled in favor of Jerzy Nowakowski, a Deputy minister in Jerzy Buzek's Government, the former head of the Polish Olympic Committee, Piotr Nurowski , and ITI group members Janusz Wejchert and Mariusz Walter. The awards to these people have so far cost the Polish budget 0.5 million Zloty.
Macierewicz said that this action by the prosecutor is a political one and is connected with the Smolensk crash investigation. Macierewicz, who heads the parliamentary committee investigating the crash, has shown some third party meddling with the investigation and evidence.
