TVN24 News in English

TVN24 News in English

Tomasz Komenda acquitted by the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court acquitted Tomasz Komenda on Wednesday. In 2004, the man has been effectively convicted for murder and rape of a 15-year-old girl. Mr Komenda had spent 18 years in prison. His tragic ordeal is now over. He may expect a record-breaking compensation from the Polish state. The Prosecutor General, Zbigniew Ziobro said that "the decision to acquit Mr Komenda shows that the mistakes of the judiciary can be corrected. Although, nothing will bring back the lost years to him or compensate the suffering, in this moment, he regained his dignity and saw a glimmer of hope for the future.

Rescuers found the body of the last missing miner

Rescuers searching for Polish miners trapped almost a kilometre underground since a tunnel collapsed 11 days ago have found the body of the last missing man. The tragic tremor took lives of five men, coal company JSW said on Wednesday.

"Compromise - but not at all costs"

The deputy chairman of the European Commission is hoping for an agreement with the Polish government. As Frans Timmermans says, "progress is being made, but it's not enough". Moreover, if that doesn't change by June 26, the punishment procedure based on Article 7 will continue. The prime minister's chief of staff, Michał Dworczyk, says "Poland also wants a compromise, but not at all costs".

Speaker of the Senate on the protesters: it's time for them to go home"

Still no breakthrough in case of the protesters in the building of the parliament. The speaker of the Senate, Stanisław Karczewski said it's "high time those ladies went home" and claims that all their demands have been met. The minister for social policy, though, failed to mention their demand for five hundred zlotys benefit. She did mention a four percent tax. The government prefers to call it a "donation" and emphasises that it won't be covered by the budget but by the most affluent tax payers.

The deadline for donating bonuses to charity has expired

The deadline has already expired. It was the last day for high ranking Polish politicians to transfer their bonuses to the "Caritas" charity. By the order of the chairman of Law and Justice, Jarosław Kaczyński. It is unclear if everyone has done so already and what consequences will follow if they haven't. It's all for show, says the opposition.

Senate will debate the bill lowering salaries of MPs

As a result of the order by the Law and Justice chairman, not only the ministers are expected to transfer their bonuses, but members of parliament and local governments now are expected to make less money. A bill which would lower their salaries has made it to the Senate. Now, even some members of the ruling party have called the whole issue populism.

"The issue of ministers' bonuses is only a tip of an iceberg"

"What we're dealing with is only a beginning, not the end of the problem. What about the state-owned enterprises?", asked Civic Platform MP, Cezary Tomczyk. The guest of "Fakty po Faktach" commented on the issue of bonuses for the members of Beata Szydło's cabinet that were to be donated to "Caritas" charity by 15 May. Waldemar Buda, MP from Law and Justice disagreed and stressed that chairpersons of the state-owned companies "earn 50 percent less". The guest of the second part of the programme was Senator Marek Borowski.

Morawiecki to meet with Juncker tomorrow

The meeting between the Polish prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki and the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker will take place on Wednesday at the EU summit in Sofia, informed the spokesperson for the Commission, Margaritis Schinas.

Stray bullets from shooting competition nearly reached local residents

They first heard them whizzing through the air and then saw them cutting into walls and fences. Residents of Opatówko were literally dodging bullets. One and a half kilometers away a shooting competition was being held and the stray bullets from the guns of its 40 participants could have cost someone their life. The local prosecutor in Września is now investigating whether the shooting range was properly secured and if there were other violations.

Two policemen left a drunk man in a forest where he died - inquiry after tragic incident

Two police officers have just been finishing their shift when they were called to attend to a drunk man lying in the street. Instead of brining him into the station, they left him in a forest, where the 36-year-old man died. The officers were fired from the force while the prosecutor is investigating the events. Now the family of the deceased is asking how could this have happened?

The police raid during conference on Karl Marx

A conference on Karl Marx became a scene straight out of a movie when police officers arrived unannounced to investigate the materials and take down personal information of those present. The officers wanted to determine whether or not the participants were propagating a totalitarian regime. While they say they were just responding to a tip-off, the Dean of the University of Szczecin claims they had no right to barge in to the event.

Law and Justice supporters ask questions about the protesters

It has almost been one month and there is still no compromise. The disabled and their caretakers spent their 27th day protesting in the Sejm. While they wait for a move from the government, Law and Justice politicians are travelling around the country trying to generate support from their electorate. However, as their potential supporters are more interested in the demands of the protesters from Warsaw, they are asking more and more difficult questions.

Article 7 still in motion despite improvements

Relations between Warsaw and Brussels continue to be shaky despite some improvements. The vice-president of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans has clearly stated that article 7 will not be retracted at this moment in time. The procedure against Poland is set in motion but both sides say a dialogue is also underway.

Deadline for ministers to return bonuses approaches fast

While Law and Justice tours the country to try and increase it's electorate, it's the final call for ministers of Beata Szydło's government to hand over their bonuses. Despite the former prime minister saying they deserved the money, Tuesday is the deadline that the chairman of Law and Justice set for them to donate to the "Caritas" charity. However, for some, this is easier said than done.

Komorowski: I hope that Article 7 won't be used in its full scope

"The government should backtrack from their faulty decisions, especially now that they have entered negociations with the European Commission," said the former President of Poland, Bronisław Komorowski. He added that such action would be beneficial "for Poland, for Polish judiciary and democracy".

"I'll go to the Sejm again. I'll bring a chair and some water"

"I've never seen anything like this before. I understand that I had no entry pass but I've waited there for more than an hour. I'll go to the Sejm again and bring a chair and some water," said Wanda Traczyk-Stawska, an insurgent who fought in the Warsaw Uprising in 1944. The guest of "Fakty po Faktach" was not allowed entry to the parliament building on Friday. The guests of the second part of the programme were Professor Antoni Dudek and Doctor Paweł Kowal.

Anna Dymna: the protest in the Sejm is cry for dignity

"Whenever I speak with people with disabilities, very often it turns out that it's not the disablity itself that hurts them the most. What actually does hurt them is that they're being treated like aliens in our country," said in "Fakty po Faktach" Anna Dymna, actress and the head of the charity foundation "Against the Odds" which brings help to people with intellectual disabilities. The guests of the second part of the programme were Agnieszka Ścigaj from Kukiz '15 and Robert Kwiatkowski from Democratic Left Alliance.

"It's a disgrace that the state can't take care of the disabled"

"I feel that it's not only pride and arrogance of the government that we're dealing with, but also lack of humanity," said the leader of Modern Party, Katarzyna Lubnauer in "Fakty po Faktach". She referred to the reactions of some politicans of the ruling coalition, both from Law and Justice and the Alliace, to the protest of the disabled and their caretakers in the Sejm building. The guests of the second part of the programme were Doctor Tomasz Płudowski and Professor Ireneusz Krzemiński.

Petru: instead of remaining idle, I'd rather work as a non-partisan MP

"In my view, the situation is very clear. I'm leaving the Modern Party and I'm not establishing any new political party now. Possibility do so will come only after the local elections and until then I will work as a non-partisan MP. Simultaneously I will focus on the new project so that it's ready after the elections," said Ryszard Petru in "Fakty po Faktach". Andrzej Olechowski was the guest of the second part of the programme.