The Investigative Committee of the Sejm is investigating who and how spent several tens of millions of zlotys on the organization of envelope elections. The first person to appear before the committee was former Deputy Prime Minister of Mateusz Morawiecki's government, Jarosław Gowin.
Govin before the investigation commission
on the first day of the hearing Among other things, Govin said: why he was against the organization of elections by correspondence and under what circumstances he learned about the concept. He also stated that he was informed that they were looking for the so-called hooks.
The hearing continued on Wednesday. Deputy Agnieszka Klopotek asked the witness “whether he received threats in various forms before yesterday's hearing”.
– Yes, my colleagues inform me that there was a lot of hate on social networks after the information that I had to appear before the commission was published. It was similar in 2020, when I left office, and in 2021, when I opposed the adoption of decisions called the Polish Order, said the former deputy head of government.
– Among these threats, there are those that can probably be described as criminal threats, but when I decided to oppose the envelope elections, I knew what the consequences would be – he added.
Asked if the threats had intensified since yesterday's hearing, Gowin said he had not confirmed that.
“Kaczynski told me…”
MP Klopotek's third question was about the possible “non-standard” pressure that should be used against the politician and his family.
– Here I have a screenshot of the CBA letter to the Krakow Technology Park. It is true that it is from March 15, 2021, that is, after the dispute about the envelope elections was resolved, but that is when Jaroslaw Kaczynski told me that he probably did not think that I should get rid of my addiction. Elections – Govin said.
He added that the CBA had requested information on whether his son was a “beneficiary of programs or competitions organized by the KPT”.
– The answer was negative. My son knew very well that, as my son, he had to stay away from public money and not use funds from the Krakow Technology Park or other public funds, Gowin said.
Envelope election
We remind you that the elections for the post of the President of the Republic of Poland were to be held in May 2020. The reason was given as the epidemic of COVID-19. However, in the end, envelope voting was abandoned. The elections were held traditionally. The cost of the unrealized project – according to the press – reached PLN 70 million.
At the beginning of December, the Seimas passed Creation of investigative committee on envelope elections. The commission is investigating “whether the organization and preparation of the elections caused the unfavorable management of the finances of the state treasury.”
In addition to former Vice Prime Minister Jarosław Govin, the commission will hear among others: former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, former Minister of State Property Jacek Sassin, former Head of Internal Affairs and Administration Mariusz Kaminski, former Head of the Prime Minister's Chancellery Michalo Dworczyk and PiS President Jaroslaw Kaczynski.
(translate tags)Govin