KO MP Marcin Bosacki tried to compare the alleged Pegasus scandal… with the Watergate scandal in the 1970s in the United States. As he said, “the essence of both scandals was that the illegal surveillance of the opposition was intended to serve the government’s re-election.” In turn, PiS MP Michał Wójcik (Sovereign Poland) submitted an amendment to the draft resolution on the creation of a Pegasus investigative committee. Amendment concerning the extension of the period to be considered by the committee. PiS wants the committee to look at the actions taken since 2007.
Bosacki compares the Pegasus case to Watergate
A debate was held in the Sejm on the draft resolution on the establishment of a commission of inquiry into Pegasus. The Commission should investigate the legality, regularity and targeting of operational and reconnaissance activities undertaken using Pegasus, including: by government, secret services and police.
Pegasus was created to track down serious criminals, especially terrorists. Meanwhile, in Poland it was used against the political opposition and by the PiS government against the democrats. Many of them, many of those who were monitored by this cyber weapon, this instrument of total surveillance, are in this room with us today.
– he said KO MP Marcin Bosacki. He mentioned, among others: Krzysztof Brejza, head of the Civic Coalition’s election staff in 2019.
The fact that Krzysztof Brejza (…) was under surveillance for six months during the election campaign, using the instrument of total surveillance, installing Pegasus on his phones more than thirty times, justifies the comparison of the Pegasus scandal with the Watergate scandal in the US. 1970s in the United States
– said Bosacki.
As he said, “the essence of both scandals was that the illegal surveillance of the opposition was intended to serve the re-election of those in power – there the later overthrown President Richard Nixon, and here the PiS government.”
According to him, of the investigative committees appointed by the Sejm, the Pegasus Commission “might be able to discover the most.”
Why? Because it deals with the essence of how Law and Justice governed
– added.
Dariusz Joński (KO) he stated that Law and Justice only had access to the phones of honest people because they looked into the hands of the authorities.
The committee must explain who made the decision to purchase, who overheard you, what happened to the operational data, why friendly TVP “pseudo-journalists” received this material and then fabricated and changed the content.
– said Joński.
KO MP Grzegorz Napieralski stated that he considers Mariusz Kamiński and Maciej Wąsik as the main suspects in the case of Pegasus use.
The time of lawlessness and violation of civil rights is over and the time has come to pay for these crimes
– said Napieralski.
If the land scandal was recognized by the court as a crime of abuse of power, the scandal surrounding the use of Pegasus is no less
– he said Mariusz Witczak (KO).
Sroka: “The PiS government has fallen, your secrets will fall”
Paweł Śliz (Poland 2050-Third Way) stated that the use of Pegasus undermined citizens’ trust in the state, and that this system should be used to combat the most serious crimes and threats to the country’s security, and that the rules for its use should be transparent and controlled are to prevent abuse. Meanwhile, the software, he said, was used to monitor the opposition, officials, prosecutors, journalists and ordinary citizens “whom PiS for some reason considered dangerous to itself.”
He pointed out that courts, in accordance with regulations, must agree to initiate operational control against a specific person.
Where were the procedures when officials of the then ruling party decided when, how and where to tap and view the phones, computers or emails of others?
– He asked. According to him, the judge did not have full knowledge of, among other things, that Pegasus software was used for operational control. He announced that Poland 2050-TD will recommend the adoption of a resolution on the establishment of a commission of inquiry.
Magdalena Sroka (PSL-TD) pointed out that Pegasus can modify data and install files on the phone without the user’s knowledge.
What is the probative value of the material obtained in this way, which can be changed? Such a system could turn any of us into a criminal
– she said. Sroka argued that the Pegasus system had not been certified by the Internal Security Agency and that backup copies of the acquired data were most likely stored on servers in Israel. She added that PiS sent the obtained material to public television for political purposes.
Disclosing information obtained as part of operational control is itself a crime. The Commission is here to ensure that such a practice never occurs again in the future. The PiS government has collapsed, your secrets will collapse
– said the MP to PiS politicians. She said that the PSL-TD club would support the resolution on the establishment of a commission of inquiry.
Tomasz Trela (left) he said the committee should explain who made decisions about who to tap, how often and under what circumstances.
We know it served political purposes and the election campaign. But do we really know everything? Wouldn’t it be nice if citizens who were not engaged in any political activity were eavesdropped, and someone just had such a quirk because he liked to eavesdrop on what others were doing?
– asked Trela. He added that Mariusz Kamiński and Maciej Wąsik, who are in prison, will be summoned before the commission and “they will have to say under oath what role they played in this wiretapping system.”
The Left is not against our state apparatus having the right tools to defend itself and its compatriots, but PiS has created a dangerous practice that will be explained during this term of the Sejm, and this explanation, as in the case of Wąsik and Kamiński, will probably hurt PiS
– said Trela. He stated that he would vote in favor of the creation of the committee, and that the left on the committee would work to clarify the issue of Pegasus use.
Paulina Matysiak (left wing) she argued that “Pegasus is illegal and has no legal basis.” She added that it should be checked against which politicians the software was used and whether it was used against ordinary citizens.
We need to know who agreed to this, who tapped who and for what purpose
– said the MP.
In my opinion Maciej Konieczny from leftthe Commission of Inquiry can be an opportunity to look at how the system for issuing operational control permits by courts works and whether the courts are not doing this too hastily and without a proper analysis of the case.
Jakubiak: The Commission “may violate the goods of the Polish state and its services”
The Pegasus Commission is desperately needed, there is no doubt about that. What PiS did to Pegasus in the area of civilian surveillance simply screams for revenge. Anyone can be tapped, anyone can be tapped, and any of us can be tapped without any real control or ability to account for it.
– he said Confederation MP Michał Wawer.
Perhaps worst of all, the information obtained through these illegal wiretaps not only remained in domestic hands, but likely ended up directly into the hands of an Israeli company and Israeli intelligence. The extent of the damage caused to the national interest by this transfer should be one of the things that the committee must explain in order to assess the extent of these crimes against the national interest of the Polish state
– he emphasized.
According to him, the committee is not doing two very important things.
It does not regulate the settlement of PO activities from 2007-2015, (…) therefore the committee should also cover the period 2007-2015. Obviously, PO has no intention of holding itself accountable. The second thing the Pegasus Commission is not concerned with is systemic change. Currently, the legal, judicial, control and resolution system for how such operational activities related to surveillance and eavesdropping are carried out is a disastrous system and the appointment of a single investigative committee will not change that.
– said Wawer.
Any situation of wiretapping and surveillance of a Polish citizen may only take place on the basis of a previous court decision.
– added.
On behalf of Kukiz’15 circles spoke out Marek Jakubiak. He ruled that the commission “could violate the goods of the Polish state and its services.”
This is what you need to know before you sit at the tables of this committee. Kukiz’15 has submitted its candidate, we would really like to participate, because one thing that is terrible in all of this is that such devices can actually be used against civilians in matters not related to Polish security. This must be demonstrated and unceremoniously reprimanded
– he pointed out.
“With these actions you want to knock out the teeth of people who fought corruption.”
PiS MP Michał Wójcik (Sovereign Poland) On Tuesday, he submitted to the Sejm an amendment to the draft resolution on the creation of an investigative committee for Pegasus. Amendment concerning the extension of the period to be considered by the committee. PiS wants the committee to look at the actions taken since 2007.
If established, it will be one of the most important investigative committees in the history of Polish parliamentarism. Citizens have the right to know who is lying and manipulating in all of this
- said Wojcik.
If you shout so much from this stage and in the media that you are so transparent, so honest and so fair, that you want to show everything to the public, then I will submit to the Marshal an amendment to the PiS draft resolution. club and I appeal to you to include this amendment that they support
– added.
Pawel Jablonski (PiS) he emphasized that KO wanted to liquidate more state institutions, including the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau.
With these actions you want to knock out the teeth of people who fought against corruption, such as Mariusz Kamiński and Maciej Wąsik, who are in prison
– said Jabłoński. He added that the wiretapping had been approved by the court and that KO wants to eliminate tools that have contributed to the fight against VAT fraud.
Marcin Porzucek (PiS) he noted that this will be the third investigative committee established during this term of the Sejm. He stated that so far none of the committees have brought anything new and that this will be no different with the Pegasus committee.
One big downer
– said the MP.
The vote on the amendment will take place on Wednesday.
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olnk/PAP/wPolityce.pl
Source: wPolityce