I know Szymon Hołownia and I assume his full honesty – said KO's presidential candidate Rafał Trzaskowski when asked about “Newsweek's” reports that the Marshal of the Sejm was to study at the Collegium Humanum. Hołownia suggested that the services could have shared information on this matter with journalists. The head of the Ministry of Interior and Administration, Tomasz Siemoniak, assured that “no services have anything to do with this matter.”
“Did Szymon Hołownia study at Collegium Humanum? Former employees claim that he was on the student list, but he did not come to classes,” Renata Kim wrote in Wednesday's Newsweek article. Szymon Hołownia denied the reports.
Hołownia said that “a few years ago, in order to formally complete his education, he applied to several universities for admission to studies” and one of them was Collegium Humanum. – When I found out what reputation this university has, I abandoned this idea and did not take up these studies – said the presidential candidate.
Read more: Szymon Hołownia: I did not study at Collegium Humanum
He also referred to the information appearing in the media. – If they come from an investigation and are revealed by someone close to the suspected rector or other people, it means a crime – he said. He assessed that if the services were behind the dissemination of such reports, it could lead to a “serious crisis of confidence in the ruling coalition.” – This will mean that this is not what we agreed on – he added.
Hołownia: I did not study at Collegium HumanumTVN24
Trzaskowski: I know Hołownia and I assume his full honesty
Mayor of Warsaw and KO candidate in the presidential elections Rafał Trzaskowski he stated that the competition between presidential candidates from the ruling coalition should be friendly, and insinuating that another coalition party has something to do with the reports about Szymon Hołownia and Collegium Humanum serves no purpose. – I know Szymon Hołownia and I assume his full honesty – he emphasized.
– All of us on the democratic side want to run a campaign that is friendly competition. You will not hear any words of serious criticism from me towards my rivals (on the democratic side – ed.). We can talk about our advantages and argue on substantive issues, said Trzaskowski.
He appealed, especially to the ruling coalition, to lower emotions, especially on social media, because – as he added – “it does not serve anyone or anything.” He expressed hope that all presidential candidates “on the democratic side” would “be bound by the rules of friendly competition.”
Rafał TrzaskowskiPAP/Albert Zawada
Siemoniak: no services have anything to do with it
The minister coordinating special services, the head, also commented on the matter in an interview with Wirtualna Polska Ministry of Interior and Administration Tomasz Siemoniak. He said that he believed the words of the Speaker of the Sejm, Szymon Hołownia, who denied that he studied at Collegium Humanum. Siemoniak added that he did not see any action by any services in this matter.
– I absolutely believe Marshal Hołownia that he is telling the truth – he emphasized. As he added, “no services have anything to do with this matter.”
Siemoniak said that “journalists get different information.” He stressed, however, that he was convinced that the case was in no way related to the investigation being conducted by the prosecutor's office regarding Collegium Humanum.
– It's not like there are any services behind every action, every article. The services focus on Poland's security, on fighting crime, not on political games, I strictly monitor this, said the minister.
The head of the Ministry of Interior and Administration emphasized that “there is no context” that Hołownia was supposed to obtain “an MBA diploma” at the university. – He explained it, I have no reason to believe that there is anything incorrect here – said Siemoniak.
The Collegium Humanum case
In the matter of irregularities regarding the Collegium Humanum university (currently Varsovia University of Business and Applied Sciences), officers CBA they have been operating since February. It was then that “Newsweek” journalists found out that the private university offered rapid courses that allowed you to obtain an MBA diploma.
Read more: Students of the former Collegium Humanum: we are in a hopeless situation. The university responds
Such diplomas facilitated, among other things, path to supervisory boards of State Treasury companies. The credibility of documents issued by Collegium Humanum was to be ensured, among others, by: foreign universities, but it turned out that they were not authorized to offer MBA studies. Collegium Humanum graduates included: politicians, presidents and board members of State Treasury companies, secret service officers and military commanders.
Since February, the CBA has detained approximately 30 people in connection with the Collegium Humanum case. The charges have already been heard by, among others: former MEP PIS Karol Karski and the mayor of Wrocław, Jacek Sutryk.
Main photo source: PAP/Rafał Guz