Former gangster's testimony may have been politically motivated

The Sejm Commission for Special Forces will try to explain whether the recently revealed testimony given by a repentant gangster known as Masa, was politically motivated. MPs became suspicious of the whole affair after PM Leszek Miller's speech in the Sejm, in which he suggested that links existed between the Polish criminal underworld and a number of Civic Platform (PO) MP's. Miller later defended his words by quoting an article published by Życie Warszawy, which he had used in the speech. According to MP's, the brains behind Masa's testimony may have been "state bodies," in whose interests it was to compromise PO or Miller. "The forces for which the Prime Minister is responsible, knew the publication [in Życie Warszawy] was false, but handed it over to him anyway. This resulted in his compromising the office of Prime MInister, the judicial system and the institution of the Crown Witness," said Antoni Macierewicz, the head of the Sejm commission. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A4) J.K.