Polish agent 'may have been kidnapped by a foreign power

Stefan Zielonka, a signals officer with Polish military intelligence, disappeared without trace from his Warsaw flat two weeks ago.

With extensive knowledge of Polish agents working overseas, including their code names and contacts, intelligence officials are concerned that if Zielonka has fallen into the hands of a foreign secret service much of the country's intelligence network could be compromised.

It has also emerged that the head of military intelligence, Radoslaw Kujawa, has been called to appear before a parliamentary intelligence committee to explain why, despite the sensitive nature of Zielonka's position, that no inquiries were made into his disappearance for two weeks.

The newspaper Dziennik quoted a committee member as saying that as Zielonka had been on sick leave officials attributed his failure to turn up for work to continuing sickness, and presumed that he "would just send in another sick note".

Investigators probing the officer's disappearance have refused to rule out the possibility that he may have been the victim of a crime unrelated to his work or that he may have committed suicide.

Newspapers have quoted sources from the secret service saying that Zielonka may have been suffering from depression and had trouble both at home and at the office.

But Poland's defence ministry has remained coy about the subject.

"Please understand me: no comments on this issue," said Bogdan Klich, the defence minister.

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