We're all in the same criminal boat
By Mirko Kaupat
Rywingate; the bribe demand by the Health Ministry; an assault by SLD youth on a photojournalist; SLD deputies voting for absent colleagues: these are just a few of the numerous scandals and affairs that have shaken the country in recent months. Now we have another one, and once again members of the governing party are involved. Rzeczpospolita revealed that earlier this year SLD Sejm deputy Andrzej Jagiełło informed two local party activists in Starachowice about a planned police action against them. The two politicians are suspected of having connections to and supporting organized crime. They have been under arrest since March of this year, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBŚ) is examining the matter. The criminals are charged with dealing in arms and drugs, blackmail and car theft.
The scandal could have been limited to the regional SLD office had Jagiełło not been involved. The CBŚ tapped a telephone call during which the member of Parliament talked to one of the suspects and warned him of an impending raid. Jan Maria Rokita, the new star of the Civic Platform (PO) party ever since his important role in the Sejm's Rywin Commission, as well as other opposition representatives, demanded that the issue be discussed in the Sejm. Jagiełło is only the tip of the iceberg, the opposition concluded, as someone in a more senior position must have given him the news that the CBŚ was about to conduct a raid on SLD operatives. Rumors are going around that Deputy Interior Minister Zbigniew Sobotka may have been Jagiełło's informer. However, Sobotka's reputation has been defended by his superior, Interior Minister Krzysztof Janik. Meanwhile, Justice Minister Grzegorz Kurczuk has asked the Sejm to revoke Jagiełło's immunity from prosecution as a Sejm deputy.
For the opposition, the scandal offers a new chance to attack the government, but Prime Minister Leszek Miller felt the imminent threat and pre-empted it with an attack of his own - still the best form of defense. During a heated debate in Parliament, he told the Sejm that Minister Janik informed him about the case on June 22, but urged him to keep the matter confidential. Miller added that Sobotka's participation in the affair can be ruled out.
The prime minister attacked Jagiełło's behavior as "shameful." Jagiełło, along with those who leaked the information to him, didn't have "even a minimal sense of responsibility," as Miller put it. However, Miller couldn't help confronting the opposition with accusations that they have criminal connections as well. The opposition reacted sharply to Miller's criticisms and called for another investigative commission to be conferred. They also used the opportunity to criticize Janik's additional position as the General State Prosecutor, arguing that his dual role could cause conflicts of interest.
Officially, Miller was just quoting from a newspaper article, but what he obviously wanted to say was "We're all sitting in the same boat." Not exactly a promising way to boost people's confidence in the country's politicians.
