Polish internal security agency tapped phones illegally, claims MP

According to Janusz Zemke, the opposition Left and Democrats (LiD) MP, the investigation into the activities of the Internal Security Agency (ABW) is still in progress and has already uncovered almost one hundred cases of illegal phone taps.

The head of the parliamentary Special Services Committee told a private radio station he thinks that the heads of ABW will be soon taken to court.

“During the government of Law and Justice (2005-2007), the Internal Security Agency was bugging phones without the consent of the court. The investigation has revealed 94 such cases so far,” Zemke told RMF FM radio.

According to the MP, the previous heads of ABW repeatedly broke the law. Although the agents received consent from the courts for surveillance for month or three months period, if they failed to find any evidence against a person, they continued the surveillance unauthorized.

The MP stressed that there are probably more such cases, as the inspection is still in progress.

The Internal Security Agency is a government institution established in 2002 to protect the internal security of the Republic of Poland and its citizens. It also has the right to investigate corruption among persons on public posts, if it may be a threat to the security of the state.

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