The District Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw has launched an investigation into abuse of power and failure to fulfill duties by members of the board of the Polish National Foundation (PFN). The case concerns the “Fair Courts” media campaign from 2017.
– The proceedings were initiated in the case of abuse of powers and failure to fulfil obligations in the period from 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2017 in Warsaw by members of the Management Board of the Polish National Foundation, obliged under the provisions of the act and the decision of the Foundation Council to deal with its financial matters, in connection with financing the media campaign “Fair Courts”, which caused the Foundation significant financial damage, in the amount of not less than PLN 8.428 million – informed on Tuesday the spokesman of the District Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw, prosecutor Piotr Skiba.
As PAP established, the investigation into this case was initiated in the second half of June.
“Fair Courts” Campaign
The campaign “Fair Courts”, which – according to its authors – was to bring the goals and details of the judicial reform in Poland closer to Polish and foreign public opinion, was conducted in 2017 by PFN. During the campaign, billboards were placed on the streets of Polish cities with slogans: “Let it stay as it was. Are you sure you want that?”. “That's how it is: judges call themselves an 'extraordinary caste'. That's how it will be: judges, like all citizens – when they break the law, they are responsible.”
Websites were also launched, including those on the assumptions of the reform of the justice system. There, one could read about the need to speed up court proceedings and ensure equality “for all before the law”. “The fish rots from the head down – there will be no real repair of the justice system without organizational and personal changes in the National Council of the Judiciary and the Supreme Court” – it was written in one of the tabs on the website “Fair and independent courts”.
Main image source: TVN24