A mystery taken to the grave
Barbara Blida, a former Construction Minister, died tragically as she was being detained by Internal Security Agency (ABW) on the grounds of being suspected of involvement in bribery and corruption. The incident occurred in her own home. According to ABW officers, at the moment of her arrest Blida asked to go to the bathroom. Despite the presence of a guard, she managed to take a gun from a bathroom cupboard and shoot herself on the chest. She died on the spot.
Barbara Bilda started her political career in a communist Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR). After 1989 she joined leftist Democratic Left Alliance (SLD). Until recently she was the director of the development company JW Construction.
Blida became the suspect of involvement in corruption and bribery after the testimony of her close friend Barbara Kmiecik, called an "Alexis of Polish mining" (after the character from the "Dynasty" soap opera). Kmiecik, who was accused of corruption in coal companies at the end of the 90s, testified that Blida was involved in intermediary in bribery as well.
As Zbigniew Ziobro, Minister of Justice said, Blida was not to be detained, but questioned. Still, her unexpected death has raised speculations in the Polish political world. The greatest doubts occurred as to whether she could have shot herself in the chest. Speculations appeared that the death was proceeded by a struggle between Blida and a ABW officer who accompanied her to the bathroom. However, Zbigniew Wasserman, Minister-Coordinator for Special Services, has denied this. The case is all the more problematic, since film recorded during the ABW's raid does not capture the moment of her death.
When WBJ went to press, the ABW had not released an official statement on the death of the former Minister. Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński has put Bogdan więczkowski, the head of Internal Security Agency, on mandatory leave. Last Friday, Wasserman accused the ABW officers that took part in the raid of neglecting procedureal requirements and appealed for disciplinary action against them, as well as the authorities of the ABW office in Katowice.
