Deputy Defense Minister sacked in thickening armaments' bribe scandal

Yesterday Defense Minister Bronislaw Komorowski demanded the immediate resignation of his deputy, Romuald Szeremietiew, for giving false information about Szeremietiew's assistant, Zbigniew Farmus. The Prime Minister said he would dismiss Szeremietiew, after Szeremietiew's assurance that Farmus was still in Poland and ready to attend prosecution proceedings. Later, Farmus was dramatically stopped en route to Sweden and airlifted from the ferry by commandos from the State Security Office (UOP).The prosecution considers Farmus' journey to Sweden as an attempt to escape. Both officials, Szeremietiew and Farmus are currently involved in accusations of demanding bribes in exchange for government weapons' orders. (Rzeczpospolita, pp. A1, A3) M.T.