Ex-Polish Justice Minister Evades Police, Skips Pegasus Probe.
Former Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro managed to avoid police for hours on Friday, frustrating a parliamentary commission investigating the alleged misuse of Pegasus spyware. Ziobro eventually turned himself in at the headquarters of TV Republika, a broadcaster sympathetic to his views, after making a televised attack on Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government.
The police escorted Ziobro to the commission, where his delay was deemed an unjustified absence. As a result, the commission requested a court order for a 30-day detention. The hearing was concluded without Ziobro’s testimony.
At TV Republika, Ziobro labelled the situation “political theatrics” while police officers waited in the lobby. Ziobro then descended to surrender himself, where he spoke out against the government. “Violence and breaking the law are the standards of the Tusk government,” he told the broadcaster’s viewers.
Ziobro is a central figure in a probe investigating why and how the previous government of the Law and Justice (PiS) party, which held power from 2015 to 2023, allegedly purchased the controversial Pegasus spyware to target political opponents.
The spyware scandal is part of a broader issue, with the Tusk government accusing PiS of misusing the justice fund — a financial pool managed by the justice minister. Prosecutors claim the fund, which was intended to aid crime victims, was instead diverted for political purposes. Allegedly, more than 112 million złoty (€26 million) was improperly taken from the fund.
Ziobro had previously failed to attend earlier hearings, reportedly due to cancer treatment. In response, the commission sought a court order to have him escorted to the session on Friday.
PiS has declared the commission "illegal," citing a ruling from the Constitutional Tribunal in September. Ziobro, a member of PiS, also deemed the court order for his escort as unlawful.
The Tusk coalition, which displaced PiS from power after the October election, has disregarded the Constitutional Tribunal, which is seen as a PiS-aligned institution following controversial judicial reforms deemed unlawful by the European Union.
“This isn’t a commission, these people are impostors,” said Michał Wójcik, a PiS lawmaker, speaking to the media at the parliament building.
The incident occurs amid a tense campaign ahead of Poland’s presidential election in May. PiS is working to maintain its influence by supporting a presidential candidate aligned with its agenda, similar to incumbent Andrzej Duda. Duda has been accused of using his veto power to block the Tusk government’s initiatives, leaving the current administration without enough parliamentary votes to override his vetoes.
