This is absurd, not a report, said PiS vice-chairman Antoni Macierewicz about the findings of the commission for investigating Russian and Belarusian influence, which accused the politician of “diplomatic treason.” During parliamentary talks with journalists, the MP called the conclusions of the head of the Military Counterintelligence Service “ridiculous things” and accused parliamentary reporters of “lies” several times.
General Jarosław Stróżyk, head of the Military Counterintelligence Service and chairman of the commission for investigating Russian and Belarusian influence presented the results of the commission's work at the conference on Wednesday. He announced that he would submit an application to the prosecutor's office regarding the possibility of diplomatic treason committed by the former head of the Ministry of National Defense.
Stróżyk on Macierewicz's “diplomatic betrayal”.TVN24
TVN24 reporter Radomir Wit tried to ask Macierewicz about the commission's findings in the Sejm.
– Good morning, Minister – he said to the PiS deputy chairman who was walking up the stairs.
– Excellent even. Not only a good morning, but also an excellent one. A great day, the politician replied.
– Do you think that what was presented in this report leads to the reflection that this is a great day for you? – Wit asked.
– In what report? – he asked PiS MP.
– General Stróżyk's commission – the journalist pointed out.
– Is there really a report? I heard everything, but this is not a report – replied Macierewicz. Later in the conversation, the politician stated that “this is absurd, not a report.”
Macierewicz: I heard everything, but it's not a reportTVN24
Macierewicz: I'm not afraid of anything in this matter
The PiS MP was asked about withdrawing from the Karkonosze program regarding the acquisition of a multi-role air refueling aircraft. – I withdrew from this in order to pay huge amounts of money and, moreover, to ensure that this structure was at the disposal of our allies, not the Polish one – he said.
When asked about diplomatic betrayal, Macierewicz pointed out that “it consisted in the fact that thanks to my policy as the Minister of National Defense, we concluded an alliance with the United States.” – For the first time in Poland's history, guaranteeing the presence of the American army in Poland – he said. – Moreover, permanent cooperation between Poland and the United States was then guaranteed, giving us security towards… Russiawhat sir? Donald Tusk he tried to prevent it, he commented.
Macierewicz was also asked if he was afraid of being taken away parliamentary immunity. – I am not afraid of anything in this matter, because the truth is the same as when Mr. Donald Tusk overthrew the government of Jan Olszewski in 1992 due to the implementation of lustration. Since then, Mr. Donald Tusk has been defending collaborators with Russia, he added.
“Lie”, “funny things” and the editors of “Trybuna Ludu”
Macierewicz spoke about the report in a similar tone during another walk with journalists in the Sejm. – This is a set of deceptions, lies and disinformation that I have never seen before, except during the communist period – he said.
The politician was asked by TVN24 reporter Agata Adamek about the request to deprive him of the Order of the White Eagle. – I think you hope so, but this matter is a matter of the president's decision, consistent with what has happened over the last several decades in the fight for independence – he replied.
Antoni MacierewiczTVN24
Several times, when asking questions, he accused parliamentary journalists of “lying”, comparing them to the editors of “Trybuna Ludu” (the press organ of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party – ed.), and called the committee's findings “ridiculous things”. – I am not afraid of anything as part of this communist activity and pro-Russian operation that you are currently carrying out – he said to TVN24 reporter Maja Wójcikowska.
When asked by a journalist why he informed the SKW about his contact with the Russian only five days later, the politician replied that “four years have passed and so far there is no bad word about this man in the secret services.” – Think about whether you really think that a Russian who brings evidence about Mr. Putin's crime should be made public by your name – he said.
– If someone is Russian and gives evidence about Putin, he is an important person and we should talk to him – he added.
Stróżyk on Macierewicz's “diplomatic betrayal”.
As Stróżyk said, the commission found that Macierewicz, as the head of the Ministry of National Defense, made an “out of order” decision to withdraw the Polish armed forces from participating in the international program for the purchase of aerial refueling aircraft.
– It was an arbitrary, baseless, thoughtless, short-sighted, unjustified and ill-considered decision, surprising for the General Staff and other units, probably dictated largely by personal reluctance towards partners from the European Union – said the head of the commission.
– As a result, we lost not only several million zlotys in contributions, but also the possibility of stationing such planes in Poland in Powidz. Today the program is a great success, with a fleet of 10 tankers stationed in Cologne in Germanyand not in Powidz in Poland – he added.
The commission recommended “transferring the collected materials to the prosecutor's office in order to carry out a legal and criminal assessment in terms of the possibility of committing a crime by Antoni Macierewicz under Article 129 of the Penal Code, i.e. diplomatic treason.”
Main photo source: TVN24