The state works. The PiS party that organized the largest wiretapping scandal in Europe is being consistently held accountable, said Krzysztof Brejza, MEP of the Civic Coalition. The former head of the Internal Security Agency was brought to the meeting of the investigative committee for Pegasus by the police. The head of the PiS club, Mariusz Błaszczak, argued that “this is happening in an illegal form” because “the commission is illegal.”
On Monday, the former head of the Internal Security Agency, Piotr Pogonowski, was brought to a meeting of the parliamentary investigative committee on Pegasus by the police. Previously, he failed to appear at the meeting three times, citing the September ruling of the Constitutional Tribunal declaring the commission's work unconstitutional. After seeking the opinion of legal experts, the commission concluded that the situation qualifies for the use of coercive measures in the form of forcibly bringing a witness, which the District Court in Warsaw agreed with.
– I was illegally forced to appear before the state – Pogonowski said on Monday. The public hearing lasted almost four hours.
READ MORE: Pogonowski: I was forced by lawlessness to appear before the state
Błaszczak: Pogonowski's arrest was illegal
Shortly after the commission's deliberations began, they appeared in the room at 10 a.m PiS MPs Marcin Przydacz and Mariusz Gosek, as well as the head of the PiS club Mariusz Błaszczak. Przydacz and Gosek, who were members of the commission but resigned, sat at the presidential table. They wanted to speak out, arguing that after the Constitutional Tribunal's judgment, “this is not an investigative commission.” They obstructed the committee's work. Ultimately, they were excluded from the meeting.
Earlier, before its start, Błaszczak said in a conversation with TVN24 reporter Agata Adamek that “the pseudo-commission brings the former head of the Internal Security Agency to its meeting.” – This is happening in an illegal form, because there is a judgment of the Constitutional Tribunal from September this year, which clearly states that this commission is illegal, that it is a pseudo-commission. Therefore, the action is a clear violation of the law. Therefore, we will submit a report to the prosecutor's office in this case – he added.
Błaszczak: we will file a report with the prosecutor's officeTVN24
Brejza: they are panic-stricken
Referring to the statements of PiS MPs, KO MEP Krzysztof Brejza, who was under surveillance using the Pegasus software in 2019, commented: – Fear, panic, they know what they did. – They are responsible, but the state acts, the Republic of Poland acts. The PiS organization that organized the largest wiretapping scandal in Europe is being consistently held accountable, he said.
The TVN24 reporter noted that “it is clear that PiS, as an element of its political strategy, will use this to make victims of those who are brought to the commission.”
– What kind of victim, what is he? Zbigniew Ziobro? What kind of victim of anything are Pogonowski and other people from the services? They simply came up with a history of hunting people, destroying people, destroying families, and preparing materials. They are panic-stricken about it, and up to a certain point they can play the card of being driven, but citizens will appreciate and finally see that the state is working, said Brejza.
Kuźmiuk: the committee is a team of MPs
PiS MP Zbigniew Kuźmiuk, when asked in the parliamentary corridor whether he would appear before the Pegasus committee and testify if he was summoned, replied that “he would not appear because since the decision of the Constitutional Tribunal, the committee is a team of MPs, and they have no right to summon anyone.” “. – If they invited me on an interesting matter and wanted to talk like an MP to an MP, I would probably come because I am a cultured person, so I respond to invitations – he added.
The Court ruled on the commission
In September The Constitutional Tribunal of Julia Przyłębska ruledthat the scope of activities of the parliamentary commission of inquiry into the Pegasus case is inconsistent with the constitution. A group of Law and Justice MPs submitted a motion for a parliamentary resolution to establish the commission.
The head of the Pegasus commission, Magdalena Sroka (PSL-TD), declared that the commission would continue its work, and the Constitutional Tribunal's ruling did not change anything.
On March 6, the Sejm adopted a resolution on eliminating the effects of the constitutional crisis of 2015-2023 and stated that “taking into account in the activities of a public authority the decisions of the Constitutional Tribunal issued in violation of the law may be considered a violation of the principle of legalism by these bodies.”
Since the resolution of the Sejm was adopted, the judgments of the Constitutional Tribunal have not been published in the Journal of Laws.