Polish former justice undersecretary Michał Woś responded to new charges alleging a 2017 procurement of Pegasus from the Central Anti‑Corruption Office, stating he would have purchased it if allowed.
Prosecutor Revises Allegations
In January, Woś was indicted for exceeding powers over the transfer of 25 million PLN from the Justice Fund to the Central Anti‑Corruption Office (CBA) to buy Pegasus software. On 30 September he appeared before the prosecutor’s office, where the charge was amended. The new allegation focuses on a contract signed on 29 September 2017 between Woś and the head of the CBA, which transferred 25 million PLN to the agency for “special tactics equipment” despite the CBA not meeting the conditions for financial support, a violation of the Central Anti‑Corruption Office Act.
The National Prosecutor’s Office stated that, under Article 4(1) of the Act, the office must be financed from the state budget, not from a targeted state fund such as the Justice Fund.
Wos Denies Involvement and Accuses Political Harassment
On Wednesday, Woś said the headlines claiming he bought Pegasus or was charged for the purchase are false. “I did not buy Pegasus, but I would have if I could have,” he wrote. He added that the system was bought by the CBA, and that the Ministry of Finance had granted partial funding after the agency’s request.
Woś argues that the “neo‑prosecutorate” is fabricating charges about the funding, attempting to insert a prohibited word “exclusively” to make the transfer appear unlawful. He cited a 2018 legal opinion from the National Integrity Commission that the funding could be granted, and claimed that the commission’s head publicly stated there was no basis to bring a case to the prosecutor’s office.
He asserted that the Ministry of Justice has no right to use Pegasus or control its operations, a task reserved for security services. Woś said he never used Pegasus nor influenced its operations, and that his knowledge of the tool is no greater than that of the average Polish citizen. He concluded that Poland will succeed in defeating enemies and conspirators.
