We see yet another act of the appalling and disgusting war between state institutions - a Left party lawmaker Krzysztof Śmiszek said on Tuesday. He was referring to a letter by the Supreme Audit Office (NIK) President Marian Banaś, addressed to the European Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (EUROSAI). In the letter, Banaś complained about government pressure put on the NIK. "I can't see any pressure whatsoever. Constitution prevents us from doing such things" - said the Speaker of the Sejm Elżbieta Witek.
The NIK chief is also a deputy head of the European Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions. In a letter to this organisation, he informs that the Polish government has been exerting pressure on the Supreme Audit Office. Marian Banaś has called a special session of EUROSAI on May 27, at which the organisation is to examine the situation of Polish audit institutions.
"I would like to know why and on what grounds Mr Banaś says so" - said the Speaker of the Sejm Elżbieta Witek.
"I can't see any pressure whatsoever. Constitution prevents us from doing such things. If we don't change the constitution or the legislation, nothing will change in that respect. Mr Banaś knows it very well" - she added.
"We see yet another act of the appalling and disgusting war between state institutions. This is another move by Marian Banaś - taking the discussion on the European level, notifying special bodies which supervise independent state audit institutions" - said Krzysztof Śmiszek from the Left party.
"Let's no get tricked, this is yet another stage of the war. Marian Banaś has reached for another weapon to protect his independence" - he said. He also reminded that Banaś has not drawn his 'top weapon', namely he has not notified the prosecutor's office about Prime Minister Matuesz Morawiecki's decision regarding last year's postal voting in presidential election, which had not finally taken place.
On May 13, the Supreme Audit Office notified the prosecutor about two suspicions of law violation - by boards of directors of the Polish Post and the Polish Security Printing Works.
The move came as a result of a NIK report from an inquiry into the planned postal voting in 2020. Although, according to the report, PM Morawiecki's decision to order printing of the voting cards lacked "legal grounds", the NIK did not notify the prosecutor's office about it.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP