Andrzej Lepper, Self Defence leader, former deputy premier and agriculture minister, accused of spilling wheat from railway wagons in June 2002, attended the first court hearing in the case on Monday, reports the Polish Press Agency (PAP).
Lepper told the District Court in Warsaw that he was innocent, because the wheat spilt by Self Defence members was contaminated. He admitted that the wheat was tipped over because the goods train was to be moved to a different location.
"We didn’t want the evidence to disappear", former deputy premier told the jury.
Lepper is among three Self Defence members, also including Krzysztof Filipek and Alfred Budner, who are charged with wasting 1.2 tonnes and contaminating 24 tonnes of grains imported to Poland by businessman Zbigniew Komorowski of the Peasants’ Party (PSL).
The offence is punishable by up to 5 years’ imprisonment.