Poland: ex-deputy energy minister detained for corruption: more cases to follow?

The Central Anti-Corruption Bureau of Poland has detained former Deputy Minister of Energy and former Senator Adam G., who oversaw the mining industry, on corruption charges.

Adam G., a former MP and senator from the ruling Law and Justice party, has already been arrested by the court. This was reported by the Polish media, in particular TVN 24.

According to journalists, the charges relate to taking a large-scale bribe.

The Gazeta Wzborcza newspaper clarified that it was a bribe of 170 thousand zlotys (almost 40 thousand euros).

Businessman Jarosław K. was also detained in the case, according to CBA spokesman Robert Sosik.

“The prosecutor of the Silesian Division of the Department for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption of the National Prosecutor’s Office in Katowice charged Adam G. with receiving an undue advantage in the amount of more than PLN 170,000 in connection with the performance of official duties, inciting and aiding in the issuance of fictitious VAT invoices, as well as using a document certifying false information,” Sosik said.

The authorities charged the second suspect with aiding and abetting in obtaining material benefits. The suspects face up to 8 years of imprisonment for the alleged crimes.

The court granted the prosecutor’s motion and ordered the immediate custody of Adam G. for a period of three months.

Politicians from the Law and Justice party in Poland are predicted to face cases as they lose power following the results of the November elections.

As reported by the Polish media, on November 17, former PiS MP and the most famous agent of the Polish Central Anti-Corruption Bureau, Tomasz Kaczmarek (also known as “Agent Tomek”), filed a report of a crime with the District Prosecutor’s Office in Olsztyn.

At the same time, he applied for the status of a crown witness. This status makes it possible to avoid punishment or significantly reduce the sentence, but only if he provides information that is extremely important to the investigation.

“Agent Tomek’s” testimony is crucial for the inquiry. According to his testimony, “Agent Tomek” stated that the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration of Poland, Mariusz Kamiński, and his deputy, Maciej Wonsik, had ordered the provision of top-secret materials to PiS-supporting journalists in order to destroy political rivals.

Thus, Poland got its own Watergate scandal, which could result in the criminal prosecution of top Law and Justice politicians.