Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has acquired specialized devices to counteract spyware, but the Supreme Audit Office (NIK) claims the procurement violated public tender regulations, citing procedural flaws in the process.
What Did the Ministry Purchase?
The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MSZ) bought seven specialized anti-spyware devices, according to a report by Rzeczpospolita published on Saturday. The Supreme Audit Office (NIK) revealed the cost of the equipment was 135,600 PLN brutto. Audit officials emphasized that the procurement process did not adhere to public tender rules, as no documentation of the estimated order value was made, no market analysis of potential contractors was conducted, and the selection criteria for the winning bid were not recorded through a formal request or protocol.
Ministry’s Office Responds
Gazeta.pl cited explanations from the MSZ administration, stating that prior to the purchase, “available information on the functional properties and security of the devices was gathered.” The ministry claimed the order value was estimated “based on the expert knowledge of the Diplomatic Security Bureau and through the experience of other ordering institutions, including the State Protection Service.” However, NIK’s analysis noted the equipment is designed to “prevent unauthorized audio and video interception via mobile phones while allowing the identification of incoming calls.”
Sikorski: Pierogi Consumption, Holiday in Communist Jurata and Now This
Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski reacted to the findings, referencing a recent right-wing media report that compared his current controversy to earlier issues, including pierogi consumption and a holiday in Communist-era Jurata. The report published by the pro-conservative platform wpolityce highlighted photos of Sikorski and his wife from their Jurata vacation, noting that the resort was “one of the favorite holiday spots of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers’ Party (PZPR).” Sikorski responded ironically, saying, “I confirm it. Edward Gierek was sitting at the table next to me.”
Source: Gazeta, https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/nasz-dziennik#anchorLink](https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/nasz-dziennik#anchorLink), https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/ministerstwo-spraw-zagranicznych#anchorLink](https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/ministerstwo-spraw-zagranicznych#anchorLink), https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/radoslaw-sikorski#anchorLink](https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/radoslaw-sikorski#anchorLink)
