http://www2.polskieradio.pl/eo/dokument.aspx?iid=117713

Tug-of-war over Kaminski dismissal

12.10.2009
Prime Minister Tusk wants to dismiss head of the CBA, Mariusz Kaminski today - President Kaczynski says the PM must wait for his opinion, however.


In line with an announcement made last week, Prime Minister Donald Tusk is to dismiss Mariusz Kaminski, head of the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA) following what the PM alleges are numerous incidences of overstepping his powers and politically motivated behaviour.
 
According to Tusk, the investigation into the lobbying gambling scandal, code named Blackjack, was part of a campaign by Kamiński of using the CBA as a political weapon against members of the ruling Civic Platform party.

Kaminski is also facing charges by a prosecutor in Rzeszow of overstepping his powers and forging documents in a land leasing investigation, dating back to 2007 at the Ministry of Agriculture.

By law, to dismiss Kaminski as head of the CBA, President Kaczynski’s opinion must be given before the procedure can go ahead. The president said last week he is against dismissing Kaminski. Chief of the President’s office, Władysław Stasiak told Polish Radio this morning that it is the prime minister’s duty to wait for the president’s response in written form.

Current legislation does not specify when such an opinion has to be presented, said Stasiak and indicated that if the prime minister went ahead with Kaminski’s dismissal he would violate Polish law. (mk/pg)