“None of the attorney general’s deputies “appear.” We simply want the factual situation to correspond to the legal situation, which is clearly defined in the laws, the ruling of the Constitutional Court and the position of the President of the Republic of Poland. According to it, the National Prosecutor is Dariusz Barski” – this is how Prosecutor Michał Ostrowski, Deputy Prosecutor General, responded to the words of Prosecutor Bilewicz, who speaks in interviews about the “revolt” of investigators and the alleged “Byzantium” in PK , before the illegal actions of Adam Bodnar.
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wPolityce.pl: Prosecutor Bilewicz calls on you to resign, citing “decency”. Do you follow his advice?
Prosecutor Michał Ostrowski: Mr. Prosecutor Bilewicz should seriously consider whether to continue in his imagined role as National Prosecutor. It has no such function. In an interview for one of the portals, he mentions that Prosecutor Barski “acted” as the National Prosecutor several years ago, so it is allowed. Unfortunately, this example is a form of manipulation, because it refers to a situation in which the National Public Prosecution Service was part of the Ministry of Justice, and the National Public Prosecution Service was not an independent state body, as is now the case. Currently you are a national prosecutor or you are not. I would like to remind you that the National Prosecutor is Dariusz Barski, who has not been dismissed from this position in the manner provided for by law.
Prosecutor Bilewicz claims that, as Deputy Attorney General, you earned tens of thousands of zlotys per month and had luxury cars and “private” drivers at your disposal.
Our salaries are regulated by law, the bonus for holding the position of Deputy Attorney General is currently approximately PLN 4,600. As for official cars, it is a fact that as part of the modernization of the prosecutor’s office, new cars have been purchased, but they are used only for official purposes by anyone who reports such a need. The suggestion that cars regularly drove with one person to Jelenia Góra, Legnica and from there to Warsaw is not true. Simply check attendance at work and compare this with travel dates and the number of people transported. I have no problem taking public transport. However, I do not understand under what circumstances Public Prosecutor Bilewicz currently and regularly uses a company car.
After all, it was unlikely that Mr. Bilewicz would live in poverty as a prosecutor for the Public Prosecution Service?
Until January 12 this year, Prosecutor Bilewicz was a prosecutor at the former Public Prosecutor’s Office for almost eight years and performed duties at the Warsaw-Praga District Prosecutor’s Office. However, he received much more compensation than his colleagues and even his direct superiors, because his salary was equal to the salary of a prosecutor from the National Public Prosecutor’s Office. Where do these complaints about revenue come from? I do not understand.
Prosecutor Bilewicz is “surprised” by the resistance you allegedly offered. “You bet”?
None of the attorney general’s deputies “appear.” We simply want the factual situation to correspond to the legal situation, which is clearly defined in the laws, the ruling of the Constitutional Court and the position of the President of the Republic of Poland. According to the report, Dariusz Barski is the national prosecutor.
What is your situation now? When will you return from vacation and are you afraid of being canceled?
I will be returning from vacation on February 12 this year. I even bought a ticket to Warsaw, in the 2nd class Pendolino, which has recently been reintroduced on the route from my hometown to Warsaw. As for my resignation, I do not see any substantive reasons, but if it is carried out in accordance with the law, i.e. with the written consent of the President of the Republic of Poland, I will accept this course of action, because I am a legalist, not “rebel” as prosecutor Bilewicz insinuates.
Do you still see your place at the National Public Prosecutor’s Office and how do you assess the time in which you held the position of Deputy Attorney General and previously director of one of the departments?
From March 2016 I was responsible for setting up and developing the Economic Crime Unit and was its Director. The issues of combating VAT crime, wild reprivatization, economic corruption and drug crime were an absolute priority for me and the excellent team I managed to build. I was also responsible for setting up a dedicated cybercrime unit and a modern crime analysis department. I hope that as Deputy Attorney General’s Office I will continue to oversee the areas of work of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, where I have worked for more than 26 years.
Interviewed by WB
Source: wPolityce