The president of the Commission for the examination of Russian and Belarusian influences, Gen. Jarosław Stróżyk, made a notification to the National Prosecutor's Office of the anticipation of the erstwhile head of the interior safety Agency (ABW), Piotr Pogonowski. The allegations concern the failure to comply with authoritative duties in connection with the decision to liquidate most of the ABW's field delegations, which was intended to undermine Poland's interior safety system.
Background to the decision to terminate the delegations
Changes in the Statute of the ABW, introduced during Piotr Pogonowski's word of office, resulted in the liquidation of 10 of the Agency's 15 field delegations. According to the Commission, these decisions were taken without a reliable analysis of their impact on the operational capacity of the ABW and on national security. As a consequence of these changes, delegations in Olsztyn, Rzeszów and Bydgoszcz – strategical areas in terms of hazard monitoring, support logistics for Ukraine and the presence of NATO structures – were eliminated.
Onet.pl indicates that:
- The delegation in Olsztyn played a key function in monitoring the threats from the Kölewski Oblast.
- The Rzeszów unit supported logistically conflict-related activities in Ukraine.
- The delegation in Bydgoszcz was liable for protecting NATO facilities in the region.
Criticism and Commission doubts
The Ministry of Justice informed that the Commission expressed serious doubts as to the reliability of the information provided by Pogonowski in justifying these changes. The Commission points out that decision-makers may have been misled through false data contained in documents.
The Commission besides stated that even after Russia's aggression against Ukraine in February 2022 no corrective action was taken to reconstruct the liquidated delegations, peculiarly in the east regions of Poland.
The Ministry of Justice’s communication states:
"In the Commission's opinion, these actions were detrimental to the public interest, leading to a deep dysfunction of the strategy of peculiar services liable for the interior safety of the State and its constitutional order".
Actions towards Piotr Pogonowski
The erstwhile Head of the interior safety Agency, Piotr Pogonowski, was detained on 2 December by the services in order to force the proceeding before the Pegasus Committee of Investigation. He had previously failed to attend the Commission's gathering 3 times, citing the Constitutional Court's ruling which declared its action unconstitutional.
The court responded to the request of KO MP Joanna Kluzik-Rostowska to impose a punishment of PLN 3000 on Pogonowski and to force him to bring it. This was the first specified situation in the past of the Polish Sejm.
The importance of the substance to national security
Experts stress that the liquidation of the ABW delegations may have undermined the Agency's operational capacity in key areas of Poland. Decisions taken by erstwhile ABW executives and the deficiency of corrective action in the face of an expanding threat from Russia and Belarus are subject to criticism and careful analysis.
As the Commission points out:
"We hope that the submitted announcement will aid to clarify the substance and to take work towards those who have violated the law and public interest."
Summary
The liquidation of the ABW Delegations and the allegations against Piotr Pogonowski cast a fresh light on the activities of peculiar services in Poland. Faced with the expanding threats from Russia and Belarus, ensuring the effectiveness and integrity of national safety structures is simply a key challenge for the authorities. Were the decisions taken justified or gross negligence? The answers to these questions may have far-reaching consequences for the future of the Polish safety system.
More here:
The D.A. will handle the case of erstwhile head of the ABW. The Guardian informed of the notification
