MEP Jacek Kurski, who was stopped by Olsztyn police, northern Poland, for speeding, got off without penalty, claiming that he has a bigger constituency than Denmark, Belgium or Holland and was ‘in a hurry.’

This is the second time that Kurski has been stopped for speeding and has used the privelige of diplomatic immunity to avoid penalty. The average fine for driving at such speeds – Kurski was stopped for going 109 km/hr in a 70 km/hr zone – is between 200-300 zloty (about 60 euro).

Kurski, on his way to the opening of his official European Parliament office in the Warminsko-Mazurskie region, northeastern Poland, claims that he has no idea why he was stopped.

“Sometimes, when a person is in a hurry, they drive over the speed limit. It shows that a politician has to be everywhere at the same time. And I happen o have the largest constituency in all of Poland, bigger than Denmark, Belgium and Holland, from Elblag to Bialystok and Siematycz. It covers 450 square kilometers, so, in order to best serve everyone, I have to hurry, and it is not easy,” claims the politician.

Kurski was stopped for speeding in November 2008 when he passed a convoy of police vans in the Tri-city area on the Baltic Coast that was transporting criminals. At the time, Kurski was a member of Poland’s lower house of parliament and paid a 500 zloty (120 euro) fine to the Sejm’s charity fund. (mmj)