President Lech Kaczynski has dismissed vice-premier and agricultural minister, Andzej Lepper in connection with arrests made by the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA).“The decision was based on the facts that surfaced following the Central Anticorruption Bureau’s investigation of high scale corruption. Two people have been arrested in connection with the case”, explained government spokesman Jan Dziedziczak.
One of the people under CBA’s arrest is Piotr Ryba – Samoobrona’s official candidate for the Supervisory Board of Polish Television. He is accused of ‘paid protection’.
“This is the end of the coalition”, leader of the Self-Defence party (Samoobrona) said last night. “There is foul play going on around me”.
“CBA entered the [Agricultural] ministry without my knowledge. Apparently, it’s about the fact that these two gentlemen - Mr. Piotr R. and Mr. K. - told someone that they had the right connections to organise reclassification of land”, said Lepper.
Andrzej Lepper confirmed that one of the arrested was Piotr Ryba. Piotr Ryba was appointed as Samoobrona’s candidate for the Supervisory Board of Polish Television (TVP). He was the director of a cheap airline Air Polonia, which went bankrupt under his management in 2004.
Lepper said Samoobrona’s parliamentary club would be debating his dismissal on Tuesday. He added that he would immediately summon the party’s executive committee in order to discuss the situation.
“At the last [parliamentary] club meeting, prime minister mentioned something about getting ready for something big. He also told us to get ready for the autumn”, a Law and Justice MP told tvn24.pl anonymously.
On Monday, CBA announced that the court’s decision to have the men arrested was issued on Sunday. Allegedly, they "made reference to their connections in one of the ministries.”
Lepper’s party is a junior member of the government coalition, alongside League of Polish Families and ruling Law and Justice.