Observers describe the ongoing political developments as a stark expression of instability within the country. Krzysztof Bosak, Vice-President of the Sejm (Confederation), shared this view during a discussion on Polskie Radio 24 on Thursday, addressing the case involving Mariusz Kamiński and Maciej Wąsik.
Earlier in the week, police detained Mariusz Kamiński and Maciej Wąsik, high-ranking PiS figures who previously headed the Central Bureau of Anticorruption and held the interior portfolio. They were found guilty on December 20 of the prior year, receiving a final sentence of two years in prison connected to the so-called land scandal.
When asked about whether the two should remain in custody, Bosak insisted that such decisions are the province of the judiciary, not politicians, and should be grounded in the law. He warned that political actors should refrain from substituting judicial authority with political judgments.
Asked whether a presidential pardon granted by President Andrzej Duda remained valid despite public debate, the deputy speaker reiterated that in a constitutional state, the law and the decisions of relevant state bodies should prevail.
The deputy speaker has described extensive engagement with constitutional texts and rulings, saying that three Constitutional Court decisions affirm the president’s powers in this area. He asserted that, based on his review, there are no legal grounds in the current Polish framework to challenge the validity of the pardon.
– Bosak emphasized this point while reflecting on the broader constitutional framework that guides presidential prerogatives.
Anarchy in the state
Bosak argued that the country appears to be witnessing anarchy, with some state authorities and judges respecting the powers and prerogatives recognized by the Constitution and by the rulings of the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court. Others, he claimed, have not adhered to these prerogatives, creating a tension between the government’s control over certain ministries and the independence attributed to constitutional bodies.
He described the situation as a clash between those who uphold constitutional prerogatives and those who question or bypass these limits, particularly in relation to presidential authority and court rulings.
The individuals at the heart of the case, Kamiński and Wąsik, were convicted toward the end of the previous year, receiving a two-year prison sentence in connection with the land scandal. The matter resurfaced after more than eight years following a Supreme Court ruling in June. Earlier, the Supreme Court’s Criminal Chamber, after cassation appeals by prosecutors, annulled the termination of the case against the former CBA leaders. The court then referred the matter back to the Supreme Court for reconsideration as part of the pardon law debate initiated by President Duda.
In a recent meeting, President Duda spoke with the Speaker of the Sejm, Szymon Hołownia, about the Kamiński and Wąsik case. The president indicated that he had proposed recognizing the 2015 pardon as effective to help close the case, but he noted that no accord had been reached on this point between the two offices.
Last week, Kamiński and Wąsik participated in the ceremony appointing presidential advisors at the Presidential Palace and later remained at the residence. In the evening, police detained them at the palace grounds.
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mly/PAP [Citation: wPolityce]
Source: wPolityce