Minister's aide resigns from Polish ruling party

Bartłomiej Misiewicz, 27, a former close aide to Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz, on Thursday was the focus of a meeting at the PiS party headquarters in central Warsaw.

Speaking to journalists afterwards, Misiewicz said that a “dirty campaign” by the media against him had attempted to tarnish “all the successes of the government of Prime Minister Beata Szydło, especially the social ones which improve Poles' lives”.

Media reports put Misiewicz at the centre of a number of controversies eagerly exploited by the opposition.

PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński suspended him from the party on Wednesday after the latest reports suggested Misiewicz had been offered a huge salary and perks in the state-run Polish Armaments Group (PGZ).

Kaczyński said a probe would be launched in Law and Justice to investigate the matter as well as previous controversies surrounding Misiewicz, who, according to the media, has landed various coveted jobs as a protégé of Macierewicz, despite his young age and modest experience.

On Wednesday, Poland’s Rzeczpospolita and Fakt dailies reported that Misiewicz had landed a PLN 50,000 (EUR 11,770, USD 12,480) monthly salary – astronomical compared with average Polish wages – for working in a senior communications role for PGZ.

The company denied the reports about his salary.

(rg/pk)