Sunday, October 21, 2007

Corruption tapes scandal

Civic Platform leader Donald Tusk has informed that Platform member Wojciech Picheta, named in a corruption scandal, has been evicted from the party.

This follows yesterday’s publication by the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau, of tapes among others showing former Civic Platform deputy Beata Sawicka accepting a bribe from a Bureau officer, after telling him that she could help him buy very attractive seaside property for development. In another recording she spoke to Civic Platform deputy Wojciech Picheta. Wojciech Picheta did not deny that he had often talked to Beata Sawicka, but claims that he did not treat conversations with her seriously. Civic Platform leader Donald Tusk argued that the deputy had failed to react properly. He also said Beata Sawicka’s alleged connections within the party had been “myth-building”. Speaking for the press today, a tearful Beata Sawicka apologised to her party colleagues, said that she had been emotionally involved with the officer and made an emotional appeal to chief of the Bureau Mariusz Kaminski, saying that she was “fighting for her life”.

Meanwhile minister coordinator for the special services Zbigniew Wasserman commented it was the first time in Polish history that a parliamentarian had been caught red-handed in this way.
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