People were taken aback by how many prosecutors are willing to bend their duties to satisfy political orders, remarked a Polish PiS member of parliament and former Deputy Minister of Justice, Michał Woś, during a Rules Committee meeting. He referred to the content of the prosecutor’s request to waive immunity as he spoke about it at length.
The Committee on Parliamentary Rules for Deputies and Immunity Matters is examining a request from the National Prosecution Service to lift immunity for Michał Woś, a member of the PiS club representing Sovereign Poland. The motion, filed with the Sejm at the end of May, relates to a broader probe into the use of funds from the Justice Fund and the purchase of Pegasus-like software as well as a license tied to the Pegasus system.
During the committee session Woś described the 28-page filing from the Public Prosecution Service as sloppy and argued there were no clear signs of a crime. He claimed the petition appeared crafted for political purposes ahead of the European elections.
He added that it is alarming to see how many lawyers and prosecutors are willing to bend to political directions to push a request that resembles political repression to the Sejm.
Woś maintains there is no personal fault
Woś asserted that the allegations against him were not supported by the petition and criticized the way the case has been framed in public discourse. He pointed out that the same pattern could be seen in the way financial gains were discussed, noting that the CBA had received funding that enabled it to pursue actions against individuals in a timely manner.
He asked a pointed question on the impact these actions have had on the common good and on his own position within the public sphere.
The Sejm is expected to review the committee’s report on the motion to lift Woś’s immunity in the upcoming session, with a vote anticipated soon after. In the past, Woś held a senior role in the Ministry of Justice within the United Right government from 2017 to 2018. He was authorized by the then Minister of Justice to administer the Justice Fund. In September 2017, he submitted a proposal to adjust the fund’s financial plan. A transfer of PLN 25 million was directed to the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau for the purpose of acquiring the Pegasus system.
Committee work paused
The committee had not managed to cast a vote on the proposal previously labeled as item 13. That item is slated for discussion in conjunction with the report on the 2023 state budget implementation by the Public Finance Commission.
To accommodate this timing, the committee chair, Jarosław Urbaniak, decided that the vote on Woś’s immunity would occur after the discussion of the budget implementation report.
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MD/PAP
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