Polish MEP denies charges over court testimony, satirical weekly

Polish MEP Daniel Obajtek on Tuesday denied two criminal charges brought by prosecutors in Warsaw, one involving alleged false testimony in court and the other related to the withdrawal of an issue of a satirical weekly from stores operated by state-controlled energy group Orlen.

Daniel Obajtek

PAP/Paweł Supernak

Obajtek, a member of the European Parliament representing Poland's conservative opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, appeared before the Warsaw District Prosecutor's Office but declined to give a formal statement until his lawyers had reviewed the case files.

Obajtek served as CEO of Orlen from 2018 to 2024.

The charges relate to the removal of an issue of the satirical weekly Nie from Orlen stores in March 2023 and allegations that Obajtek gave false testimony about his relationship with investigative journalist Piotr Nisztor.

Supporters and PiS politicians gathered outside the prosecutor's office ahead of the hearing.

"I did not plead guilty," Obajtek told reporters afterward.

He said he was "proud" of the charge related to Nie and dismissed the allegation concerning his contacts with Nisztor as unfounded.

Obajtek acknowledged ordering the magazine's removal from Orlen stores, arguing that its content offended religious sensibilities and maintaining that his decision was lawful.

The second case stems from testimony Obajtek gave before a Warsaw court on May 11, 2023. Journalist Grzegorz Jakubowski later accused him of lying under oath about his contacts with Nisztor.

The allegation is based on a 2018 audio recording published by the Onet news website in March 2024. Onet said the recording suggested that Obajtek and Nisztor had maintained informal contacts, contradicting Obajtek's court testimony.

According to Onet, Nisztor asked Obajtek about helping his wife obtain a job, and the two men discussed political matters that could have been sensitive for the PiS government, which was in power at the time.

Obajtek rejected the recording as inauthentic, saying prosecutors had acknowledged its origins were unclear and that it had been edited.

He also called on prosecutors to determine who had allegedly bugged the Orlen chief executive's office and manipulated the recordings.

On June 28, Warsaw prosecutors declined to open an investigation into the alleged bugging, citing insufficient evidence that a crime had been committed. The investigation into Obajtek's court testimony has continued.

Obajtek also questioned the timing of a prosecutor's promotion before the charges were brought, alleging without providing evidence that it could amount to corruption.

The European Parliament waived Obajtek's immunity in both cases in April, allowing Polish prosecutors to pursue the proceedings.

(rt/gs)

Source: PAP