His arrest followed three prior absences, which he explained by citing a ruling from Poland's Constitutional Court that deemed the commission unconstitutional.
Pogonowski argued that the use of Pegasus in Poland was not illegal and that the claim of its illegality was harmful to the state and its services. He also emphasized that intelligence agencies always thoroughly vet the tools they purchase to avoid potential threats.
The former head of the ABW criticized the commission's procedures, claiming that the disclosure of classified information about the methods and operations of the security services violated the interests of the Republic and the criminal code, as such information is always highly confidential.
He also stated that he learned about Pegasus from the media but had never directly interacted with the software.
During his testimony, he denied discussing operational programs with Jarosław Kaczyński, the leader of the nationalist and conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, and clarified that he was not a member of any political party, despite running for office on the PiS list in 2011.
What is Pegasus and why does it cause controversy in Poland?
Pegasus is an advanced spyware developed by the Israeli company NSO Group, capable of remotely monitoring mobile phones running both iOS and Android systems.
The software allows for eavesdropping on conversations, tracking messages, accessing data, and even activating a phone's microphone and camera.
Public opinion in Poland was deeply concerned when, under the previous government of the nationalist-populist PiS party, it was used to spy on journalists, opposition politicians, and activists, raising serious privacy and human rights issues.
Source: PR24/PAP/Sejm RP
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