(MENAFN) On Tuesday, Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) conducted raids on the residences of four former ruling members of parliament, including that of the former justice minister, as part of a sweeping nationwide probe into corruption allegations, according to a spokesman for the National Prosecutor's Office.
During these searches, the four individuals were detained under the directive of prosecutors from the Justice Fund investigative team.
The investigation primarily targets three officials from the Ministry of Justice who held responsibilities pertaining to the Justice Fund, along with one beneficiary of the Fund. They are slated to appear before the prosecutor's office for further proceedings.
Jacek Dobrzynski, the spokesman for the minister of the coordinator of special services, informed a news service that the actions taken by the ABW were connected to allegations of "exceeding powers and failure to fulfill duties by public officials."
Prosecutor Przemyslaw Nowak confirmed that ABW officers conducted searches at numerous locations across the country, spanning several dozen sites.
The properties targeted in the operation included those belonging to former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, who played a pivotal role in spearheading the judicial reforms under the Law and Justice (PiS) government. These reforms led to tensions with the European Union, prompting the bloc to withhold funds for Poland.
Other individuals subject to the swoop were opposition lawmakers Michal Wos, Marcin Romanowski, and Dariusz Matecki. Additionally, a commercial television report indicated that a priest was also detained in connection with the investigation.
Ziobro, who is reportedly undergoing treatment for cancer, stated that there was no obstruction encountered by the prosecutor's office during the search of his residence. He further mentioned that no attempt had been made to contact him regarding the plans to search his home.
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