Government launches new policy of cracking down on crime and corruption

The Cabinet has approved several bills for a new crime fighting policy entitled "Safe Poland." In order to combat crime the government is proposing to severely punish corruption, as well as to confiscate the property of gangsters who made their wealth through illegal means. "It is the accused, and not the prosecution who will be obliged to prove that property in question was acquired legally. The tactic of transferring the property to family members to hide it will no longer help as the families' properties will be examined in detail as well," said Justice Minister Grzegorz Kurczuk. The government announced that it intends to encourage those who give bribes to come forward in corruption cases with the possibility of receiving remission, or even avoid punishment provided that they voluntarily inform the prosecution of what they know, at the very latest, before the first court hearing. The government is seeking to give the police wider powers to bug suspects with monitoring devises and use incognito witnesses. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A3) A.Z.