PM Ewa Kopacz said that several ministers within the cabinet have handed in their resignation following the leaking of several documents related to the so-called “tape scandal”.
The head of the cabinet of ministers said that over the last two days, public opinion has focused on the leak of the “illegal wiretaps”.
“This has a negative effect on the operation of the state,” she told a hastily organised press conference on Wednesday.
Kopacz added that “the only long-term effect of the investigation conducted by the prosecutor's office which has lasted more than a year, is the giant leak of the investigation file.”
“This undermines the [nation's] confidence in an institution, which is meant to be a public-trust institution such as is the prosecutor's office. Therefore, I wanted to let you know that I do not accept the report by the Chief Prosecutor,” PM Kopacz said.
“The only institution which should clarify this matter, is a […] well-functioning public prosecutor's office with a new Chief Prosecutor,” she added.
Ewa Kopacz ended her speech with: “In the name of PO [Civic Platform] I would like to apologise to the electorate for what they have heard on recordings of conversations of PO politicians and made publicly available.”
The confidential documents were released on Monday by businessman and political agitator Zbigniew Stonoga.
The members of government who have already tendered their resignation at the time of writing were:
1. Radosław Sikorski: Sejm Speaker
2. Andrzej Biernat: Sports Minister
3. Włodzimierz Karpiński: Treasury Minister
4. Bartosz Arłukowicz: Health Minister
5. Jacek Rostowski: Aide to Prime Minister
6. Jacek Cichocki: Chief of PM's Chancellery
7. Rafał Baniak: Under-secretary of State at the Treasury Ministry
8. Stanisław Gawłowski: Under-secretary of State at the Environment Ministry
9. Tomasz Tomczykiewicz: Leader of the PO Parliamentary club.
(rg)
Picture: Polish Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz speaks during a press conference in Warsaw,. Kopacz announced the accepted resignation of Polish Health Minister Bartosz Arlukowicz, Sports Minister Andrzej Biernat and Minister of Treasury Wlodzimierz Karpinski. Ministers resigned following secretly recorded tapes showing collusion between ministers and central bank, and other connections with polish businessmen and investigation into the matter. Photo: EPA/RADEK PIETRUSZKA
Ewa Malcher
