Visa problem. Is Banaś motivated by revenge? A surprising translation from the chairman of the Supreme Audit Office! ‘I am a Christian. I am not the one who does the inspections.’

Although the president of the Supreme Audit Office, Marian Banaś, was dismissed as a “PiS man” by the then opposition and the current ruling coalition a few years ago, he has recently become a convenient tool to attack the United Right. This time thanks to the so-called visa scandal. In an interview with TVP Info in liquidation, Banaś argued that his actions were not dictated by the desire for revenge.

At a time when even journalists closer to the current government than to the opposition are comparing Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s propaganda sets with what Russian satrap Vladimir Putin is doing, and more and more media outlets are showing reports from places affected by the flood, where residents believe that the authorities’ response has not been sufficient, a report from the Supreme Audit Office appears on the so-called visa scandal, “Gazeta Wyborcza” writes about it eagerly, and the head of the Polish government publishes nervous tweets about it, suddenly noting that soldiers and border guards “risk health and lives, protecting us from the wave of illegal migration” (i.e. no longer for “poor people looking for their place on earth”?), Marian Banaś, chair of the Supreme Audit Office, speaks on behalf of neoTVP.

““Very serious shortcomings”

Banaś was asked on TVP Info (in liquidation) about the report of the Supreme Audit Office, described in detail in “GW” and about visas for foreigners. According to “Gazeta Wyborcza”, during the rule of Law and Justice, 366,000 visas were issued to citizens of Muslim and African countries. The revelations of the Czerska daily show that documents were often issued without verification, and sometimes they were “dictated” by PiS politicians.

We have a policy that we do not disclose the details until the report is officially presented

– said the president of the Supreme Audit Office in an interview with TVP Info. Isn’t the number of 366,000 so eagerly increased by “Wyborcza”, politicians of the current coalition and supporters of the December 13 government, a “detail”?

Marian Banaś has also announced a report to the prosecutor’s office, following the findings of the inspection of the institution he manages.

This is an ad hoc inspection that we carried out in the public interest. It took a long time

– he pointed.

The President of the High Court of Audit added that the audit was carried out by “seven of the most experienced and competent auditors”.

Unfortunately, I have to say with sadness that there are very serious shortcomings in this area

– said Banaś.

Revenge? “I only publish”

When asked whether his actions were motivated by revenge against PiS, the NIK president referred to… faith.

This has nothing to do with revenge. I am a Christian

– he emphasized.

I do not do the inspections, but experienced inspectors with 20 years or even more experience

– he added.

I only publish these results

– he assured.

Will Banaś “go to jail”?

When asked if he was afraid that after PiS came back to power he would “go to jail”, he said:

I am not afraid, I believe that the material collected by the officers subordinate to Kamiński and the prosecutor’s office subordinate to Ziobro, absolutely violated the law. Using false evidence, they wanted to discredit me in the eyes of the public and, of course, force me to become a victim.

Banaś also suggested that “leading leaders of Law and Justice” wanted to remove him from the position of president of the Supreme Audit Chamber “using false evidence” and take control of this institution.

Further audits by the High Audit Office

The Polish Financial Supervisory Authority, the National Broadcasting Council and the Polish Olympic Committee are other institutions that will be audited by the Supreme Audit Office, according to the Chamber’s president, Marian Banaś. He also said that in connection with the Supreme Audit Office’s findings regarding the visa scandal, the Chamber is preparing a notification to the prosecutor’s office.

Banaś was asked on TVP Info on Tuesday evening about the so-called ad hoc inspections currently being carried out by the Supreme Audit Office.

For example, I can say that we are conducting an inspection at the Polish Financial Supervisory Authority. Very serious inspection

– said Banaś, recalling that the first inspection of this type took place in 2021.

We are now conducting another inspection in this area. I just want to say that almost nine thousand citizens have lost their savings, the value of which has fallen from 100 to 25 percent as a result of the bankruptcy scheme. As far as we know, the citizens have not yet recovered these funds

– he pointed out.

NIK announced an audit by the Polish Financial Supervisory Authority, including: regarding entities such as VeloBank and Ursus – in April this year.

In connection with the planned ad hoc inspection of the Polish Financial Supervisory Authority, the Supreme Audit Office has started analysing the collected materials and information submitted to the Chamber.

– as reported by the Chamber.

She added that the inspection “will include actions taken by the Polish Financial Supervisory Authority, the BFG and other institutions responsible for the safety of the financial market in relation to, among others, entities such as: Ursus SA, Polnord SA, VeloBank SA and Polski Bank Apeksowy SA. According to NIK, such control is justified and socially expected.

The Chairman of the Supreme Audit Office was also asked in August of this year at the request of the Minister of Sport, Sławomir Nitras, about the audit of the Polish Olympic Committee. The subject of the audit was the spending of money from the state budget and state finances. Nitras then recalled that in the past three years PLN 92 million had been transferred to the account of the Polish Olympic Committee.

The minister has submitted a request for an inspection, we have analysed it and I decided to carry out such an inspection. At the moment we are working out the subject of inspection and in October this inspection will start, also as an ad hoc inspection.

– answered Banaś.

Check also at the National Broadcasting Council

He also says that the results of this inspection will be available early next year at the latest.

Another inspection reported by Banaś concerns the National Broadcasting Council. In late July, the Sejm adopted a resolution ordering the Supreme Audit Chamber to audit the activities of the National Broadcasting Council “in the context of the implementation of constitutional and statutory obligations to safeguard freedom of expression, the right to information, the public interest in radio and television broadcasting, and ensuring the open and pluralistic nature of radio and television broadcasting.”

There is a motion submitted by the Sejm on this issue, so that we can carry out an inspection. Of course, we are working on it now, we are analyzing when this inspection can take place, but we have decided that such an inspection will take place.

– said Banaś.

He also recalled the continuation of inspections regarding the National Centre for Research and Development and the Justice Fund.

At the beginning of the first and second terms of the United Right government, the President of the Supreme Audit Office was attacked by the then opposition in connection with the case of a residential house in the Podgórze district of Kraków. Later, he began to sharply attack PiS, the issue of “hours” suddenly faded away, and the last mention of it appeared in January of this year. I wonder whether Marian Banaś will really be as reliable and independent as he promised today in the neo-TVP, and until he leaves office (his term is supposed to end in August 2025, but he can be re-elected), the government he leads will be the government. The institution will also carefully investigate the activities of the current government and its subordinate institutions.

aja/TVP Info, PAP