Polish prosecutor’s office to investigate Macierewicz for possible diplomatic betrayal
General Jarosław Stróżyk, the head of the commission investigating Russian influences, announced plans to submit a request to the prosecutor’s office regarding possible diplomatic betrayal by former Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz, particularly in connection with the abandonment of a multi-role aircraft purchase.
Warsaw, October 30, 2024. General Jarosław Stróżyk, the head of the commission investigating Russian and Belarusian influences and the Chief of the Military Counterintelligence Service, presented a report covering the years 2004 to 2024. On the left, Antoni Macierewicz.PAP/Paweł Supernak
General Stróżyk presented a report that highlights Macierewicz’s responsibility for the destruction of Polish intelligence services over the past 20 years, including the dismantling of the ABW’s regional offices and the secret collection of the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN).
The commission intends to file a request for an investigation into Macierewicz’s potential diplomatic betrayal linked to the cancellation of the purchase of air refueling aircraft.
„If Antoni Macierewicz were a Russian agent, he couldn’t be doing his job any better,” commented Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski during a broadcast on TVN24.
The report also pointed out the government’s failure to respond to warnings about Russia’s impending invasion of Ukraine, despite alerts from U.S. intelligence.
Additionally, the commission noted structural changes in the ABW and staff shortages resulting from the closure of some regional offices.
Stróżyk suggested that the president’s inner circle might be hiding information from the commission regarding Macierewicz’s actions between 2015 and 2018.
The commission’s work included analyzing thousands of pages of documents and posing questions to various institutions, although some analyses are still ongoing.
A partial report from the commission may be released in January 2025, while a report on disinformation is planned for presentation in November.
Source: PAP/TVN24/KPRM
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