Former Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski and his State Secretary Maciej Vasic, who were legally convicted, had earlier sought protection at the presidential palace of head of state Andrzej Duda.
Police in Poland have arrested two legally convicted members of the national conservative ruling party, PiS, who had earlier sought protection at the presidential palace. Police in Warsaw announced this on the X site (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday. Polish media reported that the two were caught in the presidential palace.
President Andrzej Duda, who comes from the ranks of the BIS, received former interior minister Mariusz Kaminski and his state secretary Maciej Vasic at the presidential palace in the morning, while the police were about to take them to prison. The two politicians were sentenced to two years in prison by the Warsaw District Court in December for abuse of office and were due to begin their sentences after an appeal.
Prime Minister Tusk accuses Duda of imprisoning him
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk had accused President Andrzej Duda of obstructing the jailing of two legally convicted MPs from the replaced national-conservative ruling party, PiS. “Mr. President, my fervent plea for the sake of the Polish government: you must stop this spectacle. This will lead us to a very dangerous situation,” Tusk said in Warsaw on Tuesday.
Tusk warned that Duda and PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski would be held accountable for subverting the constitution and breaking the law. The president, who comes from the ranks of the BIS, received former interior minister Mariusz Kaminski and his state secretary Maciej Vasic at the presidential palace in the morning, while the police were about to take them to prison. Pictures posted by Duda's law firm X (formerly Twitter) showed the two posing side-by-side with the head of state at a reception at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday.
The police raided the houses to no avail
Police in Warsaw earlier confirmed that they had received a court order to transfer the two politicians to prison. Footage from TVN24 showed police in front of the men's houses searching in vain for the men.
In the afternoon, Kaminsky and Vasik appeared before the press in the courtyard of the presidential palace. Kaminski said police searched the homes that morning, but did not find him or Vishka. “We are not hiding. We are now with the Polish president until evil is defeated. (APA)
