NEW HIGH-LEVEL SCANDAL HITS RULING PARTY

Now questions are raised about gambling and one armed bandits.


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Radio Free Europe


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On 29 November Poland's three dailies, "Gazeta Wyborcza," "Rzeczpospolita," and "Zycie Warszawy," reported that prosecutors in Gdansk have been investigating since August whether Jerzy Jaskiernia, head of the ruling Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) parliamentary caucus, took a $10 million bribe from lobbyists to influence passing favorable amendments to a gambling law in parliament. According to the reports, some firms registered in tax havens succeeded in reducing the tax they pay for slot machines (popularly called "one-handed bandits") from a planned 200 euros ($240) a month to 50 euros. "Gazeta Wyborcza" reported that Jaskiernia had been advocating amendments to the gambling law for years and that his assistant, Maciej Skorka, had "thousands" of slot machines installed in Poland. Jaskiernia denied any wrongdoing. "This is complete nonsense," he said.

The amendments to the gambling law were passed in April. A draft bill presented by the government set the monthly fee for one slot machine at 200 euros, but according to the above-mentioned press reports, SLD lawmaker Anita Blochowiak proposed that the fee be reduced to 50 euros in 2003 and increased by 25 euro in each successive year until the maximum amount of 125 euros. According to the government, the legislation was needed to persuade the owners of Poland's 40,000 slot machines to come out of the shadow economy and contribute to the budget.

The scandal also involves Andrzej Barcikowski, head of the Internal Security Agency, who last week presented a secret report to the Sejm on lobbying in connection with important government-organized tenders and contracts. Barcikowski reportedly warned lawmakers that some newspapers, influenced by lobbyists, "conduct campaigns of disinformation" linked to major contracts in Poland. Barcikowski's report "is a sort of counter bomb. Since media publish materials about big [corruption] scandals, it is necessary to suggest that these materials, too, result from pressure and backstage actions," the "Gazeta Wyborcza" website quoted lawmaker Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of the opposition Law and Justice party, as saying. "It looked like an attempt at discrediting investigative journalism texts that have not yet appeared," "Rzeczpospolita" on 26 November quoted another lawmaker as saying on condition of anonymity.

"This Sejm has lost its legitimacy for action," Jaroslaw Kaczynski commented on the gambling-bill scandal, calling on the parliament to disband itself. His call has been immediately supported by the opposition League of Polish Families and Self-Defense. The opposition Civic Platform is less enthusiastic about the self-dissolution idea. Civic Platform leader Jan Rokita said the proposal is a "propaganda move" with no chance of success. Self-dissolution of the Sejm, according to the constitution, needs to be supported by at least 300 lawmakers (two-thirds of their statutory number of 450), while the opposition is not able to muster even half of the Sejm votes.

Sejm speaker Marek Borowski called the opposition motion urging the Sejm to self-dissolve "totally irresponsible," arguing that the parliament still needs to pass dozens of bills to prepare Poland for EU membership by 1 May 2004. If these bills are not adopted, Borowski stressed, Poland could lose money from EU funds. Borowski promised that the Sejm will urgently publish a "white paper" detailing parliamentary work on the gaming legislation.

The bribery allegations in connection with the gambling legislation are the latest news in a long series of sleaze scandals involving current and former SLD officials from the Health, Defense, Interior, and Culture ministries.

Prosecutors and a special parliamentary commission are still investigating the allegations that film producer Lew Rywin solicited a $17.5 million bribe on behalf of the SLD for lobbying a media law. The Rywin scandal involves, among other officials, former Deputy Culture Minister Aleksandra Jakubowska.

Former Health Minister Mariusz Lapinski, according to a recent report prepared by the Health Ministry, may be guilty of corruption connected with the introduction and sale of pharmaceuticals in Poland.

Deputy Interior Minister Zbigniew Sobotka was forced to resign and give up his parliamentary immunity over allegations that he warned local government of a pending police raid on local organized-crime structures, after receiving the information about the raid from police chief Antoni Kowalczyk. Kowalczyk was also sacked.

Last month "Zycie Warszawy" reported that many tenders for purchasing equipment for the Polish Army in 2002 and 2003, including gear for the Polish contingent in Iraq, were dishonest. According to the daily, conditions for a tender were set so as to suit only one specific firm, which paid a bribe after winning it. Some 30 people have reportedly been arrested on charges of involvement.

All these corruption scandals have considerably contributed to pushing the SLD-led government's current ratings below 20 percent from the 41 percent with which the party won the 2001 general election. Last month a poll by the OBOP polling agency found that the SLD, with backing of 18 percent, has lost its popular lead for the first time since 1999. The centrist, liberal Civic Platform, supported by 20 percent of voters, is Poland's most popular party now. Civic Platform leaders Donald Tusk and Jan Rokita are more and more certain that their party can win a parliamentary election in 2005 and form a government with the right-wing Law and Justice.

By Jan Maksymiuk
Copyright (c) 2003 RFE/RL,

NEW HIGH-LEVEL SCANDAL HITS RULING PARTY

Now questions are raised about gambling and one armed bandits.

On 29 November Poland's three dailies, "Gazeta Wyborcza," "Rzeczpospolita," and "Zycie Warszawy," reported that prosecutors in Gdansk have been investigating since August whether Jerzy Jaskiernia, head of the ruling Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) parliamentary caucus, took a $10 million bribe from lobbyists to influence passing favorable amendments to a gambling law in parliament. According to the reports, some firms registered in tax havens succeeded in reducing the tax they pay for slot machines (popularly called "one-handed bandits") from a planned 200 euros ($240) a month to 50 euros. "Gazeta Wyborcza" reported that Jaskiernia had been advocating amendments to the gambling law for years and that his assistant, Maciej Skorka, had "thousands" of slot machines installed in Poland. Jaskiernia denied any wrongdoing. "This is complete nonsense," he said.

The amendments to the gambling law were passed in April. A draft bill presented by the government set the monthly fee for one slot machine at 200 euros, but according to the above-mentioned press reports, SLD lawmaker Anita Blochowiak proposed that the fee be reduced to 50 euros in 2003 and increased by 25 euro in each successive year until the maximum amount of 125 euros. According to the government, the legislation was needed to persuade the owners of Poland's 40,000 slot machines to come out of the shadow economy and contribute to the budget.

The scandal also involves Andrzej Barcikowski, head of the Internal Security Agency, who last week presented a secret report to the Sejm on lobbying in connection with important government-organized tenders and contracts. Barcikowski reportedly warned lawmakers that some newspapers, influenced by lobbyists, "conduct campaigns of disinformation" linked to major contracts in Poland. Barcikowski's report "is a sort of counter bomb. Since media publish materials about big [corruption] scandals, it is necessary to suggest that these materials, too, result from pressure and backstage actions," the "Gazeta Wyborcza" website quoted lawmaker Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of the opposition Law and Justice party, as saying. "It looked like an attempt at discrediting investigative journalism texts that have not yet appeared," "Rzeczpospolita" on 26 November quoted another lawmaker as saying on condition of anonymity.

"This Sejm has lost its legitimacy for action," Jaroslaw Kaczynski commented on the gambling-bill scandal, calling on the parliament to disband itself. His call has been immediately supported by the opposition League of Polish Families and Self-Defense. The opposition Civic Platform is less enthusiastic about the self-dissolution idea. Civic Platform leader Jan Rokita said the proposal is a "propaganda move" with no chance of success. Self-dissolution of the Sejm, according to the constitution, needs to be supported by at least 300 lawmakers (two-thirds of their statutory number of 450), while the opposition is not able to muster even half of the Sejm votes.

Sejm speaker Marek Borowski called the opposition motion urging the Sejm to self-dissolve "totally irresponsible," arguing that the parliament still needs to pass dozens of bills to prepare Poland for EU membership by 1 May 2004. If these bills are not adopted, Borowski stressed, Poland could lose money from EU funds. Borowski promised that the Sejm will urgently publish a "white paper" detailing parliamentary work on the gaming legislation.

The bribery allegations in connection with the gambling legislation are the latest news in a long series of sleaze scandals involving current and former SLD officials from the Health, Defense, Interior, and Culture ministries.

Prosecutors and a special parliamentary commission are still investigating the allegations that film producer Lew Rywin solicited a $17.5 million bribe on behalf of the SLD for lobbying a media law. The Rywin scandal involves, among other officials, former Deputy Culture Minister Aleksandra Jakubowska.

Former Health Minister Mariusz Lapinski, according to a recent report prepared by the Health Ministry, may be guilty of corruption connected with the introduction and sale of pharmaceuticals in Poland.

Deputy Interior Minister Zbigniew Sobotka was forced to resign and give up his parliamentary immunity over allegations that he warned local government of a pending police raid on local organized-crime structures, after receiving the information about the raid from police chief Antoni Kowalczyk. Kowalczyk was also sacked.

Last month "Zycie Warszawy" reported that many tenders for purchasing equipment for the Polish Army in 2002 and 2003, including gear for the Polish contingent in Iraq, were dishonest. According to the daily, conditions for a tender were set so as to suit only one specific firm, which paid a bribe after winning it. Some 30 people have reportedly been arrested on charges of involvement.

All these corruption scandals have considerably contributed to pushing the SLD-led government's current ratings below 20 percent from the 41 percent with which the party won the 2001 general election. Last month a poll by the OBOP polling agency found that the SLD, with backing of 18 percent, has lost its popular lead for the first time since 1999. The centrist, liberal Civic Platform, supported by 20 percent of voters, is Poland's most popular party now. Civic Platform leaders Donald Tusk and Jan Rokita are more and more certain that their party can win a parliamentary election in 2005 and form a government with the right-wing Law and Justice.

By Jan Maksymiuk

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PEDOPHILIA
Hunting Kids
12 November 2003

The number of crimes involving the sexual abuse of minors has grown rapidly in recent years. Those exploring the problem of pedophilia believe that it may only be the tip of the iceberg.

The Internet is the pedophile's main hunting ground for children. The number of pornographic websites involving children has been growing year by year. The figures presented in December 2002 during the scientific conference The Child and the Internet reveal that 20 percent of junior high school kids use the Internet daily and 75 percent once, or a few times per week. Fifty-five percent of children between 13 and 15 log on to the Net mainly to chat. Forty-four percent of the junior high school kids polled admitted receiving e-mails with adult content.

The 1990s saw a rapid development of the sex industry in Poland involving children. "Hunters" are active on the Internet, trying to get kids' e-mail addresses in chat rooms before passing them on to pedophiles. Thus, children find letters containing straightforward proposals in their e-mail boxes.

Pedophiles argue on their websites that intimate contact with infants is acceptable, and openly admit having relationships with children. Most shocking is that they are usually well-educated people.

A few months ago Życie Warszawy daily launched the campaign dubbed Put Up A Pedophiles List. The paper demanded that pedophiles undergo therapy and that a database of people convicted of sex crimes be established. Monitoring the IRC and chat rooms, they found that pedophiles were setting up temporary chat rooms to exchange contacts.

The Kid Protect Foundation is engaged in a struggle against pedophiles as part of the Stop Pedophiles campaign. The foundation has operated since June 2002; its objective is to prevent the use of the media, mainly the Internet, for purposes involving child pornography and pedophilic practices, and to protect children against sexual abuse. The foundation operates in cooperation with the Police Headquarters.

A group of the foundation's volunteers constantly monitor Polish Net resources with an eye to detecting child pornography and pedophilia, and hand information on cases over to law enforcement bodies. A program blocking access to pornographic websites, created by volunteer IT experts, is also a way to protect children. Foundation workers visit elementary and junior high schools, talking with parents and instructing them on how to protect their children.

Poland's first Internet Monitoring Center operates a hotline, where cases involving violence and child pornography can be reported. The center was established jointly by Kidprotect and the Scientific and Academic Computer Network. Internet users can report offenses involving child pornography. In order to prevent such contacts with children, the link "report incidents from chat" has been opened on the Kidprotect website.

The foundation ensures full anonymity to its informers. They check on the facts reported, secure material evidence and refer cases to the police.

According to a poll taken by the No One's Children Foundation, as many as 87 percent of the children questioned over the past year had given their e-mail address to a stranger, 64 percent had released their telephone number, 42 percent had revealed their place of residence, and 44 percent had sent their photo to a stranger. Over three-quarters of the children polled by the foundation had received a proposal to meet face to face.

Over 50 percent of the children questioned had been lured into talk of a sexual character against their will. Such a talk involved proposals to meet (69 percent), a request to send a photo (66 percent), threats and vulgar words (32 percent) and the mailing of pornographic pictures (14 percent). Almost one-third of the children were scared by these conversations.

In September 2002 the police cracked down on pedophiles from Warsaw's Central Train Station. The pedophiles had accosted young boys, mainly escapees from reformatories, to abuse them sexually in return for money, alcohol, food or computer games.

The accused were aged between 34 and 70, and included a businessman, a doctor, a manger in a large company, a psychologist in a reformatory, a researcher in a scientific institute and a priest. One of the most active offenders was a German citizen, aged 62, the owner of an amusement park in Gdynia. He used to pay children zl.40-50 for sexual intercourse, or offered free merry-go-round rides. Most of the accused are married, some also have children.

The District Court ruled that the trial would be carried out behind closed doors "with an eye on public morals" and in order to prevent "violation of important private interests of both the accused and the victims." It is the largest case so far involving pedophiles to go before a Warsaw court.

At the end of May 2003 another pedophile ring was uncovered, involving the abuse of boys who were members of the Polish Nightingales choir. In mid June, Wojciech K., the director and conductor of the choir, was arrested on charges of sexual abuse involving boys under age 15. Some adults, once members of the choir, also provided testimony and stated that they were molested by K. as children. Other minors, not choir members, also reported to Poznań's prosecutor that they had been molested by K.

The police found numerous pornographic videos in the conductor's apartment, including those involving children. The parents of the boys could hardly believe what they heard, but the prosecutor stated the evidence of the crimes was indisputable.

In 2002, reporters from Wprost weekly and Polsat television uncovered one of the largest pedophile networks in Europe. The journalists' investigation revealed that the pedophiles' clients included politicians, artists, lawyers, journalists, and television personalities. The pedophiles would trade children like goods. The children's parents would take some zl.1,000 for a child and the agent expected several thousand zlotys. Clients demanded fast delivery and very young children, under age 10.

Over a few months, the reporters won the trust of pedophiles contacted through the Internet, attending face to face meetings, getting familiar with individual units of the net, and gathering evidence. The last part of the journalistic investigation was recorded by Polsat's cameras.

The District Prosecutor of Warsaw and the Central Investigation Office were then informed of the case. No official charges have been filed so far. The number of abuse cases has been rapidly increasing in Poland. In the first quarter of 2003 alone, the police referred 334 cases involving pedophilia to prosecutors. In 2000, Polish courts convicted 455 people on such charges and a year later-525. Over 80 percent of those convicted committed similar offenses after being released.

Sentences for pedophiles rarely reach 10 years' imprisonment, the upper limit. Usually, they stretch to two or three years, often suspended. Court and police figures indicate that only one-third of offenses end up in court.
Joanna Müller

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Leak Scandal Topples Polish Police Chiefs


In a 29 October vote that followed party lines, the Sejm turned back the right-wing opposition's attempt to force Interior Minister Krzysztof Janik from office.

Janik survived the confidence vote by a margin of 216 votes to 204. He is the highest-ranking Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) politician so far to be embroiled in a scandal involving tipoffs to two SLD members accused of links to criminal gangs in the town of Starachowice.

Although the minister survived the vote, his former deputy Zbigniew Sobotka had already resigned over the affair, and it has also played a part in major shakeup of the national police force. National police chief Antoni Kowalczyk resigned (also on 29 October), after two of his top deputies had stepped down.

The opposition charged that Janik bore overall responsibility for the Starachowice scandal, in which his former deputy Sobotka was embroiled. Sobotka has been charged with leaking secret information about a planned police raid on organized crime in Starachowice last spring to SLD deputy Andrzej Jagiello, who in turn tipped off the two SLD members in Starachowice. They were later arrested; Jagiello was stripped of parliamentary immunity by his Sejm colleagues.

Before Sobotka's resignation and indictment on charges of disclosing secret information, Janik repeatedly assured the prime minister and the public of his confidence in his deputy.

Janik's party colleague, Prime Minister Leszek Miller, dismissed the confidence vote as a waste of energy during debate before voting.

President Aleksander Kwasniewski also defended the minister in several interviews.

Janik is seen both within the SLD and by the public as largely successful in launching anti-corruption programs and raising public confidence in the police. Until the Starachowice scandal, his ministry labored under a reputation for sluggishness, but had escaped major scandals.

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

The same day Janik faced the Sejm, the Starachowice affair took another high-profile victim, national police chief Kowalczyk. His resignation came after Justice Minister Grzegorz Kurczuk told deputies Kowalczyk had admitted to prosecutors that he passed information about a planned police raid in Starachowice to Sobotka, after initially denying it.

Kowalczyk's replacement was named immediately following the official announcement of the police chief's resignation: General Leszek Szreder, police chief of the Pomerania region.

Szreder's nomination was not unexpected, but his first act on taking office was--the dismissal of two high-ranking police officers, Wladyslaw Padlo and Adam Rapacki. Rapacki, head of the organized-crime fighting Central Investigation Bureau, was questioned by prosecutors the following day over the Starachowice affair.

The personnel changeover was a planned maneuver designed to impose the government's control over the police, wrote former Interior Minister Marek Biernacki in the daily Rzeczpospolita.

“The police were given a clear sign that above all they must obey political power,” wrote Biernacki, who along with Rapacki helped start the Central Investigation Bureau. He said the shakeup was the government's “revenge for the Starachowice affair, revenge against the police. Rapacki is a symbol of the fight against organized crime.”

The Central Investigation Bureau led the operation that resulted in the arrest of the SLD politicians in Starachowice.

The new police commander dismissed talk of a political subtext behind the firings.

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