Due to ongoing procedures related to false information appearing in the media, I have resigned today from the position of State Secretary at the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy, Jacek Żalek announced Thursday.
Due to ongoing proceedings related to false information appearing in the media damaging my good name and image of the United Right, I have today resigned from the position of Secretary of State at the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy until the matter is clarified
Jacek Żalek wrote on Twitter.
I am confident that all doubts will be cleared up by the appropriate government authorities and my good name will be cleared
Zale emphasises.
At the same time, I categorically state that I have in no way made any accusations against the Republican Party
– added.
The case of two grants
It concerns the case of two grants awarded as part of the competition of the National Center for Research and Development “Fast track – digital innovations”. The first grant, amounting to PLN 55 million, was awarded to a company with capital of PLN 5,000. PLN determined 10 days before the application deadline, by a person less than 30 years old; the company’s application received the lowest possible funding score. The second suspected grant – amounting to PLN 123 million – was awarded to a project on “undersea cybersecurity” to a company from Białystok, which had reported losses over the past two years.
In early March, Dariusz Joński and Michał Szczerba, MPs from the KO: Dariusz Joński and Michał Szczerba, who conducted parliamentary scrutiny of the NCBiR, announced that the payment of funds to these two companies had been blocked. They also presented the network of connections between these companies and the Republican Party.
On February 13, the head of the MFiPR, Grzegorz Puda, fired the acting director of the National Center for Research and Development, Paweł Kuch, who had headed the institution since August 2022, and appointed a new acting head of the Center – Jacek. Orzel. Orzeł was previously director of the security policy office at MFiPR. On February 14, Deputy Minister Żalek – who is also a Republican Party politician – announced that the decision of the Minister of Development Funds and Regional Policy had triggered an inspection at the National Center for Research and Development. The inspectorate must investigate the correctness of the “Fast Track – digital innovations” competition.
On February 15, the Ministry of Funds informed that the National Center for Research and Development had sent a notification to the prosecutor’s office about the possibility of committing an offense regarding possible irregularities in the selection of a project submitted under the ” Fast Track – Digital Innovations” procedure. co-funding competition. On February 22, the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau began an inspection at the National Center for Research and Development.
In early March, PiS spokesman Rafał Bochenek, when asked on Radio Zet what would happen to Deputy Minister Żalek, who oversaw the NCBiR, said that Żalek was “removed from overseeing the NCBiR, he no longer oversees it out”. He added that the ministry is investigating whether “he could have been involved in and influenced the decisions of the National Center for Research and Development in any way”.
Then, when we have clarity on the matter and we will examine all the circumstances of the decision-making process at the National Center for Research and Development, we will be able to take further consequences
– then added Bochenek.
On Thursday, the Onet.pl portal reported that it had access to the contents of the testimony that Deputy Minister Żalek gave to the investigators a few days ago. The portal reported that Żalek had to provide the prosecutor’s office with transcripts of conversations of people from the management of the National Center for Research and Development.
Referring to transcripts of the recordings, the State Secretary describes, among other things, how the Republican Party had to secure itself financially if it lost the parliamentary elections. This action would be called +Black Coal+
Onenet wrote.
In early March, Republican Party leader Adam Bielan, when asked about the NCBiR contest, said on TVP Info that no zloty had been spent from the grants awarded as part of the two-project NCBiR contest and that the NCBiR should consider legal action related to information received by the funds for these two companies. He then added that he would consider such legal action against people who insulted him or his party.
“There is and will be no protective field for wrongdoing.”
Government spokesman Piotr Müller, who was asked on Thursday about possible personnel changes related to irregularities in the granting of grants from the National Center for Research and Development, assured that “there will be no tolerance for any abuse in these matters, and any person guilty of makes any abuse will be punished.”
I would like it to be clear: there is and will be no field of protection for abuses in these kinds of institutions, in any institution whatsoever. Persons who may have committed wrongdoing must and will be punished
Muller said.
When asked whether MFiPR’s deputy head, Jacek Żalek, who until recently directly oversaw the work of the National Center for Research and Development, should step down, Müller said there have been no such staff requests to date because the CBA and the internal audit are ongoing. .
If it ends and there are such conclusions, we will inform you about personnel decisions
– added.
“Jack, thanks for the responsible decision”
Żalek’s resignation was commented on Twitter by Łukasz Mejza.
The opposition thought that by provoking the NCBiR they would break the government majority. We are together. On the Polish side. Jacek, thank you for the responsible decision that allows us to fully explain all matters
wrote the MP.
kk/PAP/Twitter
Source: wPolityce