Today, Mariusz Kamiński, head of the Central Anticorruption Bureau (CBA) will be charged by the Prosecutor’s Office in the southern city of Rzeszow for overstepping his powers and forging documents. 

The charges are related to a land leasing investigation dating back to 2007.

CBA chief Mariusz Kaminski will be charged with forging documents from town offices in Mragowo and Olsztyn in the Mazuria region and for overstepping his powers as head of the corruption investigation organization.  

“The CBA will not break down; we will act as long as we can,” Kaminski said at the Prosecutor’s Office, believing that the case is an attempt by the government to close down the unit or dilute its powers.  

The opposition Law and Justice party, of which Kaminski was once an MP for, claims that the charges against him are revenge for the CBA exposing Civic Platform politicians in an alleged lobbying scandal, which has seen the resignation of two prominent members of the ruling party.

The case against Kaminski are related to a so-called land leasing scandal which resulted in the dismissal of the Agriculture Minister and deputy PM Andrzej Lepper and collapse of the Law and Justice-Self-Defence-League of Polish Families coalition in July 2007.

The CBA were investigating what was thought to be an unlawful change in the status of a plot of land in the Mazuria region. The land was registered to serve only agricultural purposes but the Agriculture Ministry was accused of making available for property development in exchange for a bribe from two investors - Andrzej Kryszynski and Piotr Ryba.  

A planned sting operation by the CBA to try and expose the corruption was leaked before hand. Several high-ranked politicians were accused of being involved, including the former Interior Minister Janusz Kaczmarek, businessman Ryszard Krauze, former police chief Konrad Kornatowski and president of PZU Jaromir Netzl.   (mg/pg)