Sejm Speaker invites chief auditor for a meeting on Friday

Poland. More doubts come to light over top auditor's assets

Źródło: TVN24 News in English

I treat the independence of the Supreme Audit Office (NIK) as priority and I shall protect it with all legal measures at my disposal - the head of NIK Marian Banaś said on Thursday. The day before, the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA) entered the seat of NIK and searched flats owned by Banaś. He said the bureau's actions had been "unlawful" and stressed he expected an "immediate meeting with the Speaker of the Sejm Elżbieta Witek". The chief of the Sejm Information Centre Andrzej Grzegrzółka said the Speaker has invited Banaś and the NIK board for a meeting scheduled on Friday at 11:30 am.

On Wednesday, at the request of the prosecutor, CBA officers carried out searches at 20 locations, as part of the investigation into alleged irregularities in Marian Banaś' asset and tax declarations. The CBA also entered the seat of the Supreme Audit Office in Warsaw.

The Regional Prosecutor's Office in Białystok has been investigating the NIK chief since December 2019.

Constitutional independence of NIK

On Thursday afternoon, Marian Banaś gave a short statement in front of the NIK headquarters, in which he commented on the said action taken by the Białystok prosecutor's office and the CBA. He called them "unlawful", and said he expected an "immediate meeting with the Speaker of the Sejm Elżbieta Witek".

"As the NIK president, I strongly protest against violating constitutional independence of the Supreme Audit Office. I treat the independence of the Supreme Audit Office (NIK) as priority and I shall protect it with all legal measures at my disposal" - he announced.

Asked by TVN24 reporters if he planned to file a complaint regarding this case, he confirmed: "There will be a complaint. We will file a complaint against the prosecutor's office and the CBA".

He added the complaint he would file the complaint both a private citizen and as the NIK chief.

The chief of the Sejm Information Centre Andrzej Grzegrzółka informed later that day the Speaker has invited Banaś and the NIK board for a meeting scheduled on Friday at 11:30 am.