RT.com
19 Sep 2023, 19:44 GMT+10
The scheme allegedly allowed thousands of migrants to enter the country
Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau has insisted he will not step down despite a growing scandal over allegations that the nation's consulates issued visas to migrants from Africa and Asia in exchange for bribes.
The controversy first emerged in late August when Deputy Foreign Minister Piotr Wawrzyk, who was responsible for consular and visa matters, was fired by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki for a "lack of satisfactory cooperation." Poland's Central Anticorruption Bureau (CBA) subsequently launched an investigation into Wawrzyk's activities.
The Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper later reported that the probe had exposed corruption that allowed tens of thousands of immigrants to enter the EU through international recruitment companies. Meanwhile, the Rzeczpospolita media outlet reported that the Foreign Ministry system had allowed people to "skip the queue" to obtain Polish visas for $4,000-5,000.
A parliamentary probe by the opposition Civic Coalition alliance suggested that as many as 350,000 visas issued to migrants from African and Middle Eastern countries could be under suspicion.
Attempting to control the fallout, Rau insisted on Monday that he does not feel "complicit" and even suggested that the scandal "does not exist." The minister admitted to "irregularities" in the issuance of visas, but stated that only around 200 documents were involved. He further insisted that the figure pales in comparison with the 2 million visas issued by Poland in the last 30 months, mostly to Ukrainians and Belarusians.
"If this is the scandal of the century, I prefer to talk about a cascade of fake news," Rau added, responding to claims by opposition leader Donald Tusk that the allegations were "the biggest scandal of the 21st century in Poland."
The controversy erupted one month ahead of parliamentary elections in Poland, where the government has positioned itself as tough on migration. Senate Speaker Tomasz Grodzki, also a member of the opposition, joined Tusk in denouncing what he described as "corruption at the highest levels of government."
Last week, Polish prosecutors announced that they had detained seven suspects in the case, none of whom were state officials. According to Rzeczpospolita, a key figure was named as 'Edgar K', an Indian businessman and associate of Wawrzyk, who allegedly acted as an intermediary in the scheme.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of China National News news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to China National News.
More InformationREDMOND, Washington: Artificial intelligence is transforming Microsoft's bottom line. The company saved over US$500 million last year...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: A federal rule designed to make it easier for Americans to cancel subscriptions has been blocked by a U.S. appeals...
BASTROP, Texas: In a surprising turn at Elon Musk's X platform, CEO Linda Yaccarino announced she is stepping down, just months after...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Former British prime minister Rishi Sunak will return to Goldman Sachs in an advisory role, the Wall Street...
LONDON, U.K.: Physically backed gold exchange-traded funds recorded their most significant semi-annual inflow since the first half...
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands: Some 32 percent of global semiconductor production could face climate change-related copper supply disruptions...
HONG KONG: China has fired back at the European Union in an escalating trade dispute by imposing new restrictions on medical device...
New Delhi [India], July 12 (ANI): India's auto original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are likely to witness margin pressures in Q1FY26E,...
(250712) -- TIANJIN, July 12, 2025 (Xinhua) -- Airbus conducts a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) delivery flight in Tianjin, north...
The arbitration has in fact become an anchor around the Filipino people's neck, weighing the nation down economically, said Herman...
Kathmandu [Nepal], July 12 (ANI): The Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN), an umbrella organisation of mountain tourism entrepreneurs,...
New Delhi [India], July 12 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday stated that every India is elated with this recognition...