Former President Aleksander Kwasniewski has apologized to the “honest researchers” and historians at the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) for having called them an ‘Institute of Liars’.

Kwasniewski’s outburst came following IPN allegations that the former president cooperated with the communist secret police in the 1980s.

Head of the IPN, Janusz Kurtyka, accused Kwasniewski at the beginning of April of being registered under the codename ‘Alek’ in communist secret services files.

In response, the former President stated that “Kurtyka’s opinion is further proof that the IPN is a national institute of liars.”

But today Kwasniewski decided to issue a public apology.

“I was not referring to the entire operations at the Institute. I was referring to the part that is decidedly political in nature and which has repeatedly attacked [Lech] Walesa. And what Janusz Kurtyka said against my person is further proof that I am right,” stated Kwasniewski today.

The IPN  - which was set up to research crimes against the Polish nation by communists and nazis - has been accused of pursuing a vendetta against politicians seen as against members of the Law and Justice party, particularly opponents of Lech and Jaroslaw Kaczynski, with whom Walesa had a major falling out in the early 1990s. IPN published a book last year accusing the former Solidarity leader of cooperating with the communist secret services under the codename “Bolek”

Kwasniewski today said that historians at the IPN that do legitimate, factual historical research and publish meritorious works should be praised for their work.

“I have respect for that work, but that is not what I was referring to. To those who were insulted by my words, I apologize,” said Kwasniewski.

The former President added that he was the one who signed the piece of legislation on 18 December 1998 which set up the institute in its current form and, as such, he feels responsible for its work.

Kwasniewski  - a former member of the communist party in Poland - reiterated that he never cooperated with the  communist security services.

“I was never ‘Alek,’ this has already been proven,” stated the former President. In 2000, the Lustration Court, a vetting court to determine whether public officials cooperated with communist secret services - verified that Kwasniewski was never a secret agent or cooperated with the service. (mmj/pg)