The case centers on Morawiecki's role in preparing for Poland’s 2020 presidential election, which was initially planned to be conducted exclusively by mail amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Prosecutor-General Adam Bodnar, the request was delivered to the lower house, the Sejm, on Thursday.
Prosecutors accuse Morawiecki of exceeding his authority as prime minister and violating election laws by issuing orders that lacked a legal basis.
The allegations specifically relate to decisions made in April 2020, including directing the Polish postal service to organize the election and the Polish Security Printing Works to print ballots and related materials.
These actions, prosecutors argue, were unlawful and bypassed the authority of election bodies such as the State Electoral Commission.
The 2020 election, scheduled for May 10, was ultimately postponed due to legal and logistical challenges.
Prosecutors contend that Morawiecki failed to halt preparations for the election despite knowing it would not occur as planned, leading to significant financial losses for public coffers.
The losses are estimated at over PLN 56 million (around USD 14 million).
The National Public Prosecutor’s Office said that Morawiecki’s actions breached Poland’s election code, administrative laws, and the constitution.
A 2020 ruling by the Warsaw Administrative Court also found Morawiecki’s decisions to be gross violations of the law. This judgment became final in 2024 after appeals were dismissed.
Anna Adamiak, spokeswoman for the National Public Prosecutor’s Office, said during a press briefing that the actions under scrutiny were inconsistent with the special COVID-19 legislation passed in March 2020, which did not grant the prime minister powers to organize elections.
If the Sejm approves the request to lift his immunity, Morawiecki could face charges of abuse of power, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison.
Morawiecki, now a lawmaker with the opposition Law and Justice party (PiS), dismissed the allegations in a post on the social media platform X, accusing Bodnar of launching a politically motivated campaign.
The 2020 election controversy has been a focal point of political and legal debate in Poland. At the time, the pandemic disrupted regular voting processes, and the government’s push for a mail-only election was met with widespread criticism, including from legal experts and opposition parties.
The postponed election ultimately took place on June 28, 2020, under traditional voting methods.
The Sejm’s decision on whether to lift Morawiecki’s immunity will determine whether prosecutors can formally press charges.
Parliamentary immunity protects lawmakers from criminal prosecution unless explicitly revoked by the Sejm.
Adamiak told reporters that additional requests to lift immunity for other figures involved in the case may follow.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP