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 Link
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 Link
posted by BEING HAD at 6:18 AM
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