When Karol Nawrocki managed the Museum of the Second World War and occupied an apartment in its hotel part, he had a key to it, not an electronic card. Thanks to this, he could enter and leave at any time – writes “Gazeta Wyborcza” on Monday, citing one of the museum's administration employees. Moreover, according to the newspaper, Nawrocki “was not the only one staying in the hotel part” of the museum.
On January 20, “Gazeta Wyborcza” reported that the current candidate PIS for president Karol Nawrocki, as director of the Museum of the Second World War (in 2017-2021), used the Deluxe apartment free of charge for over half a year. in the museum hotel complex, although he lives only five kilometers from it.
Read also: Karol Nawrocki about the luxury apartment: I used it to conduct dynamic international politics
According to the Second World War, Nawrocki was in the apartment for a total of 200 days. For such a period, the client would have to pay over PLN 120,000. With “maximum employee discounts” it would amount to over PLN 25,000.
A key, not a card. “He could come and go at any time.”
On Monday, “Wyborcza” published new arrangements regarding the use of the apartment by Nawrocki.
The daily describes that the museum director's office is located on the same level as the hotel part of this institution. “It is a few dozen steps away from the apartment in a straight line and the door opens with an ID card. Outside guests enter from the reception side using electronic cards. However, the rooms can also be opened with a key, leaving no traces in the system,” writes “GW”.
As we read further, “when Karol Nawrocki managed the museum and occupied the apartment, he had a key, not a card.” One of the museum's administration employees tells the daily that in this way Nawrocki “could come and go at any time.” “At the turn of 2020 and 2021, his personal belongings were permanently there – suits, shirts, underwear in wardrobes, books. No one from the staff had to see him, at most a security guard on the director's floor,” he adds.
“The director orders breakfast”
“Wyborcza” also describes traces of Nawrocki's stay, which have been preserved in the museum's documentation. These are e-mails sent to the hotel staff by the head of the sales and marketing department. “She wrote, among other things: 'The director will let you know if you can come in and clean up', 'The director is ordering breakfast'. There are also requests to turn on additional channels on the TV,” “Wyborcza” quotes.
Karol NawrockiŁukasz Gągulski/PAP
One of the deputy directors also occupied the apartment
“Wyborcza” in its Monday publication also writes that Karol Nawrocki “was not the only one staying in the hotel part” of the museum.
“As it turns out, the apartment was also occupied for a very long time – about a year – by one of the deputy directors, who got the position during Nawrocki's times, although he also lives in Gdańsk. Unlike Nawrocki, he paid for the stay – a discounted price of PLN 500 per month. He settled the payment after when Nawrocki moved to the chair of the head of the Institute of National Remembrance and when it turned out that the deputy director occupied the room for free,” we read.
It was added that after the parliamentary elections in 2023, a new management team came to the museum, and internal regulations included an option allowing management staff who do not live in Gdańsk to rent rooms on a monthly basis. “On this basis, one of the apartments is occupied by Prof. Rafał Wnuk, the current head of the Second World War. He pays PLN 1,000 a month,” the daily notes.
Nawrocki's translations regarding the apartment
PiS candidate for president commented on the case on Wednesday in Zakopane. – The apartments and rooms at the Museum of the Second World War were built by my predecessor, director Paweł Machcewicz, and the previous management, who actually did not live in Gdańsk – he said.
– When I became director, I commercialized these rooms and apartments, making the State Treasury, i.e. the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk, earn money through the tourism industry – added the PiS candidate for president.
As he said, “during the COVID-19 pandemic, these rooms, like the entire tourism industry, were excluded from use.” – I was quarantined for ten days twice in one of the rooms and for a moment in the apartment – said Nawrocki. – I never lived there for more than ten days while I was quarantined at the time COVID-19 – he added.
He said that at that time he was “performing his duties as director of the Museum of the Second World War.” – I could have been at home during these ten days of quarantine and not performed my duties at the Museum of the Second World War, but I was simply at my facility. Every day I had folders to sign my decisions, which I picked up at the door, he added.
“I led a very dynamic international policy”
Nawrocki also said that the information that he lived there for 200 days was “not true”. – I had a very dynamic international policy, also these apartments, these rooms sometimes were used simply for business meetings, so these days also have to be counted with guests from abroad or with guests from Poland. These days should also be counted as those probably registered or booked in my name and surname – he said. – The conclusion is this. I made sure that these apartments and these rooms had the opportunity to earn money for the activities of the Museum of the Second World War. I never lived there for more than 10 days while I was in quarantine. I did not expose the State Treasury or the Museum of the Second World War to any costs, because it never happened that when I used this room, it was at the expense of someone who booked it. I used it when I was free or when I was in quarantine, he repeated.
Emilia Wierzbicki, spokeswoman for Nawrocki's campaign, replied to “GW” that “the ad hoc use of the room at the MIIWŚ” by the then director of the facility “was related to the performance of official duties at the MIIWŚ, was never long-term and did not last on a continuous basis.” She also assured that Nawrocki never used the room for personal reasons.
The museum disputes Nawrocki's words regarding the apartments. The Sejm team submits a notification to the prosecutor's officeDominika Ziółkowska/Fakty TVN
Museum statement
On Friday The Ministry of the Second World War issued a statement referring to Nawrocki's statements.
As we read in the letter sent to us, “it is not true that the apartments and guest rooms located in the museum building were built as apartments intended for the previous management. Neither the director, Prof. Paweł Machcewicz, nor any of his deputies spent even a day in these rooms.”
Muzem reported that it is also not true that Karol Nawrocki was the one who decided to make the apartments and rooms available for commercial purposes. The apartments were intended for rent already at the design stage of the museum building.
Karol Nawrocki does not explain why he needed the deluxe apartment. “He slept at the expense of the Polish taxpayer”Jakub Sobieniowski/Fakty TVN
“He blocked the Deluxe Suite for a total of 200 days”
The museum added that it is also not true that apartments and rooms in the museum building remained unused throughout the entire pandemic. The museum added that Karol Nawrocki “blocked the Deluxe apartment for a total of 200 days.” Among the 15 reservations he made, 10 were for 10 days or less and 5 were for a period longer than 10 days.
Karol Nawrocki said in Zakopane that he was quarantined in the apartment twice during the pandemic. The museum claims that documentation shows that this happened only once and it lasted 10 days.
“We are also surprised by Karol Nawrocki's statement regarding business meetings that he held in an apartment belonging to the museum complex. We would like to inform you that in the museum building there is a spacious director's office and a conference room intended for receiving guests from Poland and abroad. There is no need to to use apartments and guest rooms for such purposes,” reads the museum's statement.
“Karol Nawrocki claims that he occupied the Deluxe Apartment in order to fulfill his official duties. Meanwhile, it remained at his disposal for 16 days of his holiday leave, i.e. when he did not work,” the management adds.
Notification to the prosecutor's office
January 24 politicians of the Civic Coalition announced that they had submitted a report to the prosecutor's office regarding Nawrocki's use of apartments in the Second World War.. The application was signed by members of the PiS settlement team.
Team chairman, Roman Giertych he emphasized that they thus give the candidate for president of the Republic of Poland supported by PiS a chance to clear himself of the charges against him.
Main photo source: PAP/Tomasz Golla