Sejm passes legislation enabling key witnesses to change their identity

A witness protection program bill passed by the Sejm yesterday, if enacted, will entitle people willing to testify in certain criminal cases to state-sponsored protection, including a change in witnesses' identity, the issuing of new tax-payer identification numbers (NIP), and even relocation abroad. "We now can give people a new identity" says Interior Ministry spokesman Marcin Trzcinski. Previously, despite changing witnesses' names, they still had the same identity numbers, which made it easier to track them down. Currently, 50 witnesses and their families would be covered by the witness protection program. (Zycie, p.5)