Three crimes were forgotten
Information about Andrzej Duda's controversial decision was published on the President's Chancellery website. The communication shows that on 20 November the president pardoned a individual convicted of 3 crimes: placing a crucial amount of narcotics on the marketplace in order to accomplish a wealth benefit, possession of psychotropic substances and driving a motor vehicle in a state of intoxicated condition.
The paper does not show what was the combined punishment for these acts. The ‘Rzeczpospolita’, however, notes that up to 12 years of imprisonment can be awarded for the first of the acts. The paper recalls that this is not the first time that Andrzej Duda has exercised the right of grace towards a convicted individual for placing drugs on the market, indicating an earlier decision concerning Paulina P.
Photo XThe pardon of Paulina P.
Paulina P. mentioned earlier was convicted of mephedron trafficking, and Andrzej Duda exercised his right of grace, initiating proceedings and making decisions despite the negative opinion of the court and the lawyer General.
According to the findings of the “Faktu” who informed about the case, Paulina P. was sentenced to 2 years of probation, but due to disregard for the work of contact with the curator, the punishment was suspended and the female was imprisoned. That's erstwhile she started applying for a pardon. The President, examining her request positively, referred to "humanitarian considerations" and "very hard household situation" for women. "Fact" notes, however, that these arguments contradicted the activity of convicted social media, where it boasted of a luxurious lifestyle.
In addition, a fewer years before the CBŚ pardoned, a group that was active in large-scale drug trafficking came across. The full Paulina P household was to be involved.
I'm dealing again.
On December 7, 2022 Andrzej Duda pardoned another individual convicted of a akin crime. This time it was about having crucial amounts of fresh psychoactive substances and selling them in order to accomplish a wealth benefit.
In this case, the president suspended the punishment for the trial period, justifying the decision "humanitarian considerations" and "very hard household situation". The difference was that this time the petition for pardon was made by the lawyer General and the court gave a affirmative opinion.
Photo XMr Dariusz Joński then assessed that:
There has been another pardon that gives emergence to legitimate controversy. It should be in the president's interest to give motives for his decision alternatively of hiding his head in the sand.
Theoretically the least, but...
It can be argued, of course, that Andrzej Duda is, after all, the president, who utilized the law of grace comparatively rarely. And statistically, it will be true. Let's compare the actions of erstwhile presidents. Lech Walesa pardoned 3454 people during his reign, Aleksander Kwasniewski pardoned 4,302 people during his 2 term, Lech Kaczyński only 201, and Bronisław Komorowski 360 people. Andrzej Duda pardoned only 130 prisoners by January 2024, even little than Lech Kaczyński.
Therefore, it cannot be said to Duda that he is doing this universally, but the fundamental question is whether we should trust only on numbers. The fundamental question to ask is not “how much?” but “why?” Why are the 2 loudest cases of Andrzej Duda's pardon concerning drugs? And it's not the cases where individual had a fewer grams for their own use, it's the large scale.
The motives of the president are likely to never be known, although it is not yet possible to quit the chance for any explanation.
