Ex-head of Polish security compelled to give testimony in espionage investigation
Piotr Pogonowski was compelled to give testimony before a special commission looking into the alleged abuse of Pegasus spyware during the tenure of the previous PiS administration. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
A parliamentary committee is currently investigating the Law and Justice party for allegations of spying on political opponents using Israeli-developed spyware.
On Monday, police detained Piotr Pogonowski, the former head of Poland’s Internal Security Agency, and brought him before parliament to provide testimony regarding the misuse of the spyware utilized by the previous Law and Justice government.
The special parliamentary commission is delving into claims that the PiS-led administration used the Pegasus software, created by Israel’s NSO Group, for surveillance on individuals considered “inconvenient” to their agenda during their time in power.
Poland's current justice minister reported that the spyware was employed to monitor nearly 600 individuals from 2017 to 2022, which included various politicians and the head of the main opposition's parliamentary election campaign in 2019.
Following the rise of Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s coalition in 2023, prosecutors began an investigation into the allegations, leading to the formation of a special parliamentary body assigned to examine the purported abuse of the spyware.
However, members of the PiS party have resisted cooperating with the commission, claiming it lacks legitimacy.
Pogonowski, who led the agency from 2016 to 2020 and is now part of the central bank’s management board, had previously disregarded three subpoenas to testify, which led a court to mandate his arrest on Monday.
During his appearance before the committee, Pogonowski asserted that his presence was "illegal" and provided vague responses to inquiries. When questioned about when he learned of the Pegasus system, he initially stated it was from media, then clarified that he was only referring to when he first heard the name and not the system itself, as reported by the Onet news outlet.
Throughout his testimony, the former AWB chief consistently refrained from answering questions, citing legal restrictions on discussing agency operations publicly.
Nonetheless, he noted the importance of Polish security agencies having access to “the latest tools” and emphasized that technology like Pegasus plays a crucial role in safeguarding the country against “real terrorist and espionage threats, as well as common crimes.”
After approximately three and a half hours, the chair of the commission announced a break and indicated that the session would continue in a closed setting.
In the wake of Pogonowski's arrest, former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, who also served in the PiS government, indicated that he would be willing to testify before the commission after having previously declined to do so.
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
On Monday, police detained Piotr Pogonowski, the former head of Poland’s Internal Security Agency, and brought him before parliament to provide testimony regarding the misuse of the spyware utilized by the previous Law and Justice government.
The special parliamentary commission is delving into claims that the PiS-led administration used the Pegasus software, created by Israel’s NSO Group, for surveillance on individuals considered “inconvenient” to their agenda during their time in power.
Poland's current justice minister reported that the spyware was employed to monitor nearly 600 individuals from 2017 to 2022, which included various politicians and the head of the main opposition's parliamentary election campaign in 2019.
Following the rise of Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s coalition in 2023, prosecutors began an investigation into the allegations, leading to the formation of a special parliamentary body assigned to examine the purported abuse of the spyware.
However, members of the PiS party have resisted cooperating with the commission, claiming it lacks legitimacy.
Pogonowski, who led the agency from 2016 to 2020 and is now part of the central bank’s management board, had previously disregarded three subpoenas to testify, which led a court to mandate his arrest on Monday.
During his appearance before the committee, Pogonowski asserted that his presence was "illegal" and provided vague responses to inquiries. When questioned about when he learned of the Pegasus system, he initially stated it was from media, then clarified that he was only referring to when he first heard the name and not the system itself, as reported by the Onet news outlet.
Throughout his testimony, the former AWB chief consistently refrained from answering questions, citing legal restrictions on discussing agency operations publicly.
Nonetheless, he noted the importance of Polish security agencies having access to “the latest tools” and emphasized that technology like Pegasus plays a crucial role in safeguarding the country against “real terrorist and espionage threats, as well as common crimes.”
After approximately three and a half hours, the chair of the commission announced a break and indicated that the session would continue in a closed setting.
In the wake of Pogonowski's arrest, former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, who also served in the PiS government, indicated that he would be willing to testify before the commission after having previously declined to do so.
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
