“Attempts to turn it into a political stunt, attempts to involve me in the story that the Marshal’s first decision is to release criminals from prison are simply pathetic,” said Sejm Chairman Szymon Hołownia. referring to the Włodzimierz case. Karpiński.
Marshal of the Sejm Szymon Hołownia announced that he had signed documents informing three people of their priority in accepting a mandate in the European Parliament. On Thursday, the former secretary of the Warsaw City Hall and former minister in the PO-PSL government left the prison where he had been held since February. He was arrested in connection with the so-called waste scandal. He was accused of corruption in concluding waste management contracts in Warsaw. On Friday, Włodzimierz Karpiński officially received a mandate as Member of the European Parliament in place of Krzysztof Hetman, elected to the Sejm.
When asked at a press conference on Friday whether he believed the decision in this matter was good, Marshal Hołownia replied that “it is not a political decision.”
Politics has absolutely nothing to do with it. If it were a representative of another political camp, be it PiS, Confederation or Left, or any other camp, if he found himself in such a situation, the action of the Marshal of the Sejm is an official action . I simply have no choice and have to sign the decision that I signed on the acceptance of the mandate by Mr Karpiński, but yesterday I also signed the decision on the takeover of the mandate by Mr Witold Pahl
– said Hołownia.
Clear procedure
He emphasized that the procedure is very clearly described.
If it comes to the point where someone has the right to take up a mandate because this is the outcome of the elections (…), the President of the Sejm is obliged to inform him of his right to take up this mandate immediately to record. correspondence, he receives permission to take up this mandate and the marshal then makes a decision on whether to accept the mandate
– said Hołownia.
He reiterated that it was not a political decision because “it is a decision that cannot be ignored.” As he said, “any marshal who has not made such a decision risks liability before the Public Prosecution Service and before the State Tribunal.”
Attempts to turn this into a political stunt now, attempts to involve me in stories about the Marshal’s first decision, namely releasing criminals from prison, are downright pathetic.
– said the marshal.
He added that the comments of some PiS politicians are “a kind of swan song and an attempt to cover up their own situation and legal incompetence.”
I have not decided to release Mr Karpiński from custody. These decisions were made by the National Public Prosecutor’s Office. Contact her about this. I asked the Sejm lawyers what my next steps could be as President of the Sejm, and they were clear that I should inform the President of the European Parliament about this situation and that she should continue to deal with the matter. My activities end with the declaration that the mandate has been validly accepted by Mr Karpiński in accordance with Polish law
– said Hołownia.
Karpiński was on the list of the European Coalition in the 2019 European Parliament elections. However, he did not receive a mandate as a member of the European Parliament. Krzysztof Hetman, who has just won a seat in the Polish Sejm, has become a MEP from this list. Joanna Mucha should have gone to the European Parliament under Hetman, but she was also elected to the Polish parliament. The next eligible to become a MEP would be Riad Haidar, but the politician died in May this year. Ultimately, the EP mandate goes to the next candidate: Karpiński.
READ MORE: OUR INTERVIEW. Kaleta: Hołownia lied to the Poles. His urgent decision on Karpiński proves that he is repaying his debt to Tusk
edy/PAP
Source: wPolityce