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Former Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminskis and his former State Secretary Macej Wasik were sentenced to two years in prison in December for abuse of office. On Tuesday, when the police wanted to take them to prison, the two politicians from the national conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party took refuge in the presidential palace.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Tuesday accused the president of hiding the convicts and warned that Duda and Law and Justice leader Jaroslav Kaczynski would be prosecuted for sabotaging the constitution and breaking the law.
The Dudas law firm published a photo of “X” on Tuesday showing Kaminskis and Vasiks next to the president at a reception at the palace. However, they were arrested on Tuesday evening. According to media reports, Duda was not in the palace at the time.
After meeting with the wives of the convicted politicians, Duda announced today that he would initiate the pardon process at the request of the wives. He called Kaminski and Vasika political prisoners.
“I said I would do everything to get these people released as quickly as possible, so that they are free people and not political prisoners,” Duda said.
Kaminskis and Vasiks went on hunger strike on Wednesday, their first day in prison.
Back in March 2015, Kaminski was sentenced to three years in prison for abuse of office, but he appealed the verdict. The reason for the conviction was the scandal uncovered in 2007, in which Kamiński’s office specifically organized a corruption case to discredit the then Minister of Agriculture Andrzej Leper. Vasik was also sentenced to three years in prison for abuse of office.
After Law and Justice came to power in the fall of 2015, President Andrzej Duda pardoned Vasika and Kamiński in a controversial decision, even though their appeal had not yet been considered. Therefore, the case was soon closed and Kaminski was appointed Minister of the Interior.
In June last year, the Supreme Court revoked Kaminski’s pardon, forcing him to stand trial again.
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