Prosecutor General Seeks Forced Detention of MP Michał Woś for Obstructing Probe

Prosecutor General Waldemar Żurek submitted a formal request to the Sejm on Thursday to detain and forcibly bring PiS lawmaker Michał Woś to the prosecutor’s office after he skipped four summonses.

Four Missed Summonses

The application stems from the failure of PiS MP Michał Woś to appear at the prosecutor’s office. An ongoing investigation targets the politician regarding the abuse of powers committed while he served as deputy minister of Justice, where he was responsible for matters related to the Prison Service and the Internal Inspectorate of the Prison Service.

Investigators summoned Michał Woś to the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Poznań four times. The former deputy justice minister failed to attend any of the summonses, and the prosecutor’s office indicates that an analysis of Woś’s behavior demonstrates deliberate and conscious obstruction of the investigation.

Prosecutor General’s Request to the Sejm

“Prosecutor General Waldemar Żurek forwarded a request today to Marshal of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland Włodzimierz Czarzasto for consent to detain and forcibly escort MP Michał Woś,” the National Prosecutor’s Office stated in a communication on Thursday, July 23.

The investigation into Woś concerns irregularities in the supervision of the prison service. According to the prosecutor’s office, sufficient evidence has been gathered to substantiate the suspicion of abuse of powers, relating inter alia to the appointment of the Internal Inspectorate of the Prison Service.

Controversial Appointments and Inspectorate

As described by Piotr Żytnicki in Gazeta Wyborcza, the inspectorate was intended to combat crime within the prison environment. However, rapid promotions occurred for selected officers who supported the circle of former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, and the prosecutor’s office believes that some personnel decisions were made in violation of the law.

Sejm Approval Requirement

Previously, Woś agreed to the waiver of formal immunity, which dictates that a deputy cannot be held criminally liable without the consent of the Sejm. However, a lawmaker’s immunity consists of three elements: formal immunity, material immunity, and a guarantee of personal inviolability.

The prosecutor’s office explains that consequently, consenting to hold an MP criminally liable, including the waiver of formal immunity by the MP themselves, does not lift the protection resulting from personal inviolability. Detaining an MP, including for the purpose of forcibly bringing them to perform procedural actions, requires separate consent from the Sejm.