Lech Walesa, Solidarity hero and former President of Poland, has spoken out against the allegation that Henryk Jankowski, Catholic Prelate, co-operated with the Communist era Secret Police.

The information on the possible co-operation has been published in a book released today by the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) on the 1984 murder of Father Jerzy Popieluszko by Communist authorities.

Lech Walesa told the Polish Radio that Father Jankowski was a distinguished person in the Polish struggle for freedom and without him there would not have been a victory.

“Even if Fr. Jankowski committed some indiscretions, he did many more good things, so it doesn’t make any sense to talk about it now,” the former president said.

“The road to victory is not always straight, it sometimes zig-zags. Perhaps this was the road Fr. Jankowski followed,” Walesa added.

According to IPN historians, Fr. Henryk Jankowski, a key figure in the Solidarity movement in the 1980s, is claimed to have been an “operational contact” for the Secret Police during Communist Poland, working under code names such as “Delegat” and “Libella”. Jan Żaryn of the IPN explained that the priest could have been unaware of the way he was used. Fr Jankowski himself denied all allegations. (jm/mrk/mmj)

Source: IAR