Polish opposition slams president's pardoning of former security chief
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
18.11.2015 13:10
Members of Poland's opposition have criticised President Andrzej Duda's pardoning of Mariusz Kamiński, who was sworn in as a minister on Monday despite having been sentenced for abuse of power earlier this year.
President Andrzej Duda and Minister Mariusz Kamiński on Monday, when the latter was sworn in. Photo: PAP/Jacek Turczyk
Kamiński was given a three-year prison sentence in March 2015, after being found guilty of abuse of power while head of Poland's Central Anticorruption Bureau (2006-2009).
Sworn in on Monday as a member of the Council of Ministers, Kamiński has been made the Coordinator of the Secret Services.
His appeal was pending before he was pardoned by the president on Tuesday.
“Andrzej Duda's decision destroys the legal order that we have built up over so many years,” commented Sławomir Neumann, head of the parliamentary club of the Civic Platform party, which was defeated in the 25 October general election.
President Duda was an MEP of the now ruling Law and Justice party prior to his election in May, although he shed his membership on becoming head of state.
“Ministers in the Law and Justice government can now do what they like, breaking the law, because ultimately there is always a former colleague from the party, namely President Andrzej Duda, who may decide to pardon them,” Neumann claimed.
“This is very dangerous - it's striking at the foundations of the rule of law,” he added.
Meanwhile, Minister of Justice Zbigniew Ziobro has argued that the March verdict against Kamiński was “extremely unjust and politically motivated.”
Kamiński was dismissed in 2009 under the then Civic Platform led government. (nh/di)
Source: IAR