In an unprecedented transfer, a brand new Polish MEP will come to Brussels directly from a prison cell — after his colleague MEP Krzysztof Hetman left for Poland’s decrease chamber Sejm.
Włodzimierz Karpiński, a former treasury minister below Donald Tusk’s earlier Civic Coalition authorities, has been in detention for over eight months.
But he was launched on Thursday (16 November) to take up his seat within the European Parliament, his lawyer informed EUobserver.
This will “put an finish to the absurd, unjustified and devastating arrest” of Karpiński, his sons defined in an open letter to Polish media.
Karpiński was detained final February, suspected of accepting a PLN 5 million (€1.2m) bribe from a waste firm working within the capital when he was a secretary within the Warsaw City Hall.
In an interview with EUobserver, his advocate Michał Królikowski defined {that a} request for Karpiński’s launch from prison was rejected by the prosecution on two events.
He additionally stated that one other trial is deliberate for Monday (20 November) which can nonetheless extend his detention once more.
Karpiński has been below momentary arrest for over 250 days. “During this time the prosecutor has questioned him thrice, as soon as at his request. The interrogations lasted a complete of about 10 hours. 10 hours versus greater than 6,000 hours spent in a cell,” the sons emphasised.
“The expenses in opposition to my shopper had been introduced on very poor proof. The detention is unjust, excessively lengthy and unwarranted,” Karpiński’s lawyer added.
When requested for a touch upon the beginning of the mandate of the brand new MEP, the European Parliament stated that these standards rely on nationwide regulation.
“The election [and] the appointment of the alternative Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) is solely within the arms of the competent nationwide authorities,” an official informed EUobserver.
When Królikowski knowledgeable the earlier Polish Sejm speaker, Elżbieta Witek of the outgoing Law and Justice social gathering, concerning the intention of his shopper to turn out to be a MEP, she merely ignored this declaration and did not problem a call.
Neither did she inform the prosecutor about it, so the circumstances of releasing Karpiński to let him turn out to be MEP weren’t met.
Karpinski has turn out to be “a sufferer of the Polish judicial system, which has not charged him, he’s nonetheless harmless, that is why ought to have the appropriate to settle for the MEP mandate after which have immunity waived to give you the option to testify in entrance of the courtroom,” Socialist & Democrats MEP Bogusław Liberadzki informed EUobserver.
This week the brand new Polish parliament was sworn in and the brand new Sejm speaker, Szymon Hołownia from Polska2050 (Renew Europe), signed paperwork informing Karpiński and two different Polish politicians they may take up their seats within the EU parliament.
This comes after three present Polish MEPs went the opposite method, taking their mandates on the parliament in Warsaw.
But Hołownia’s transfer has been met with howls of opposition from PiS lawmakers.
“This determination casts a shadow over Hołownia and exposes his true political intentions…cementing the outdated system, together with the one related to the Civic Platform, by guaranteeing impunity for these dealing with critical corruption expenses,” stated Law and Justice spokesman Rafał Bochenek.
On Thursday, the brand new Sejm speaker’s declaration to the nationwide prosecutor’s workplace formally revoked Karpiński’s arrest.
Catalan comparability
The European authorities have been very guarded with their statements concerning the Polish ‘MEP in prison’ case, since a earlier determination made in relation to the case of Spanish Catalan politician, Oriol Junqueras, proved to be hasty and led to a serious row with Madrid.
In 2019, the European Court of Justice had dominated that the imprisoned Catalan politician, as soon as elected as an MEP, was entitled to immunity, and allowed to journey to a swearing-in ceremony on the Spanish parliament.
But the reason for imprisonment for the Polish politician is expounded to a legal offence, Genowefa Grabowska, a regulation professor and former socialist MEP, informed EUobsever.
Grabowska argues accepting Karpiński as an MEP can be “a disgrace” — which may trigger “one more corrupting blemish on the fame of the European Parliament, comparable to letting again Eva Kaili take her MEP’s duties”.
According to Grabowska, it might be significantly better if Civic Platform proposed one other “much less controversial politician”.
Karpiński’s lawyer informed EUobserver, nevertheless, that his shopper “stays firmly satisfied of his innocence”.
Once launched from custody thanks to his MEP’s immunity, he is not going to keep away from investigators, the lawyer additionally stated.
“The solely factor that may change is that he’ll lastly testify freed from cost, as ought to have been the case for the reason that starting of the method,” Karpiński’s lawyer stated.
In October’s parliamentary elections in Poland, the PiS gained the most important help, however even with the far-right Confederation, it’s unlikely to type a governing coalition.
The new authorities in Poland is anticipated to be fashioned by so-called “democratic opposition” — encompassing Tusk’s Civic Coalition, the liberal Third Way social gathering and the New Left social gathering.
