The previous minister of justice and chief prosecutor Zbigniew Ziobro, has been summoned to answer questions concerning the illegal use of Pegasus spyware against political adversaries during his term in office.
However, Magdalena Sroka who is heading the parliamentary inquiry has said that Ziobro has not acknowledged receipt of the summons and she has asked the state prosecutor to authorise a police investigation to determine the former minister's whereabouts.
A parallel investigation into the operations of the Justice Fund of the Ministry of Justice has led to serious accusations of misuse of public funds, nepotism and concealment of improprieties.
Questioned by a parliamentary committee investigating the Law and Justice government, Tomasz Mraz, the former director of the Justice Fund department, said that the majority of funds were awarded in an improper manner. In particular, funds were awarded to a project designed to praise Ziobro's own party (and Law and Justice coalition partner) Sovereign Poland. Mraz also claimed that the majority of decisions were personally taken by then Minister Ziobro.
Ziobro fell ill shortly after the October general elections. This may explain why a majority, especially supporters of Law and Justice and Konfederacja, does not want to see him questioned in public (according to an opinion poll commissioned by Radio ZET.)
Sources: PAP, Rzeczpospolita, Radio ZET, Business Insider
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