The Sejm’s investigative committee pursuing questions about the former leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ consular department continues its hearings on the visa scandal. The session today features Jakub Osajda, dismissed from his post as director of the Legal and Compliance Management Office on September 15, 2023, and Maria Wiktoria Raczyńska, who served as an assistant to then Deputy Foreign Minister Piotr Wawrzyk. Reporters are invited to follow the committee proceedings. [citation needed]
Interrogation of Jakub Osajda
The hearing with Jakub Osajda is ongoing. Osajda held an oath and used the moment to speak openly about the case.
Osajda began by thanking the committee for the invitation and for addressing a matter he says had been concealed for months. He noted that the government coalition publicly denied the existence of a visa scandal, while acknowledging that several related issues were at play. He argued that beyond the visa matter, there were instances of legislative tampering and failures to perform duties by senior officials. He described processes conducted without intra-ministerial consultation, the bypassing of public input, and a lack of transparency regarding the cost provisions of a proposed Foreign Service Act, which he warned could affect the MFA’s budget by hundreds of millions of PLN per year. [citation needed]
“I am speaking as a legal advisor by trade, yet today I am here with counsel because of ongoing legal proceedings against the ministry’s former leadership,” Osajda remarked.
He stated that he had no personal visa issues within his remit and learned of the visa scandal only through media, public discourse, and contacts associated with Piotr Wawrzyk on September 4, 2023. He argued that his name appearing in connection with the scandal was unfounded and a form of political smokescreen designed to mislead public opinion. [citation needed]
Osajda indicated that political maneuvering at the highest levels led to his dismissal, suggesting that the PiS team sought to keep the visa issue from dominating the party’s electoral campaign. He claimed information from a political cabinet head and his spouse indicated the decision to dismiss him occurred at Nowogrodzka Street on the night of September 14–15, 2023, driven by a member of PiS’s electoral apparatus. He described himself as a casualty of a broader political contest. [citation needed]
Despite fears about potential consequences, Osajda pursued legal action against the Foreign Ministry to address what he views as wrongdoing. He asserted that the core issue behind Piotr Wawrzyk’s troubles was not isolated, and that senior figures such as Zbigniew Rau deserved to know the full truth. He promised to present all evidence to the High Commission so that it can speak for itself. [citation needed]
During the session, the committee’s legal representative urged the witness to cooperate, noting that any confidential information revealed would be handled appropriately and warning of penalties for failing to testify truthfully. The chair, Michał Szczerba, guided the questioning, probing the sequence of events following Osajda’s resignation and the circumstances around the public comments that followed. Osajda mentioned that on the day of his termination, he spoke with Mateusz Pali, head of the political cabinet for Minister Rau, underscoring the intertwining of political and administrative decisions. [citation needed]
Committee members pressed for details on Osajda’s professional background and his connections within the ministry. Marek Sowa, the KO committee vice-chair, asked about Osajda’s earlier roles and how, upon Piotr Wawrzyk’s ascent to deputy head, Osajda was offered a cooperative position as an expert in the Foreign Ministry. Daniel Milewski, from the PiS faction, inquired about his introduction to Edgar Kobos, with Osajda admitting a close working relationship and even inviting Kobos to his wedding. Osajda outlined the department’s structure to explain his duties in the Legal and Compliance Management Office and answered questions about the visa scandal in his free assessment. [citation needed]
Maria Janyska from KO pressed for specifics on the kinds of visa-related irregularities Osajda had in mind, to which he responded that outsourcing visa procurements for high-value contracts lacked adequate tender oversight and that the broader irregularities centered on the Foreign Service Act, which he argued should have been a major reform but had not yet been fully implemented. He warned that the current provisions could threaten the ministry’s finances if enacted, highlighting a potential budget crisis. [citation needed]
As the session continued, other participants questioned Osajda’s professional history, including the possible pressures from United Right officials to accelerate visa processing. He suggested that some lawmakers, including Rafał Bochenek and Bogdan Borusewicz, may not have benefited from bribes, though he could not confirm broader claims at hand. The room prepared for further testimony as part of a broader inquiry into the visa program and related governance issues. [citation needed]
The proceedings touched on additional topics, including how procurement processes impacted high-value visa outsourcing and the perceived adequacy of oversight for foreign institutions. The dialogue closed with a reference to related coverage and ongoing testimonies that the committee would carry forward. [citation needed]
Source: wPolityce. [Citation attribution within the record remains part of the proceeding’s archival notes.]