Mayor of Lodz launches crusade against corruption

Jerzy Kropiwnicki, the new Mayor of Lodz, has revealed the motto for his term of office writing his "Authorities must be crystal clear" slogan on the window pane during his first press conference. The new president also announced that he had launched an investigation into one bribery case in a Lodz city department. As a part of his crusade against corruption, the mayor will look into all contracts signed by the former city authorities immediately prior to the elections and said he would not give his permission for further construction of new hypermarkets in the town. Just before the elections, Kropiwnicki asked his predecessor in the office, Krzysztof Jagiello of the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), not to make any personal or organizational decisions, which was ignored when the authorities signed a contract for the lease of one of Wroclaw's bazaars for 15 years to the Mark Remo company breaking the city council's regulations. Moreover, to become a role-model for other city officials, Kropiwnicki is to sell his Peugeot 607 staff car, worth zl. 185,000, and exchange it for a mid-range model. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A4) J.K.