According to Poland’s Prosecutor General’s Office, Woś is accused of exceeding his official authority and failing to perform his duties by transferring 25 million PLN (approximately €5.9 million) from the country’s Justice Fund to the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA), which then used the money to buy the Israeli-made Pegasus surveillance software.
Former Polish deputy justice minister charged over Pegasus spyware purchase
Pegasus, developed by the NSO Group, allows remote access to smartphones - including messages, calls, and encrypted apps - and has been at the center of multiple scandals worldwide for its use against journalists, opposition figures, and human rights activists.
The 248-page indictment lists 33 witnesses to be questioned. Prosecutors stress that this is not the first case tied to alleged misuse of the Justice Fund, which was originally created to help crime victims but, under the PiS government, became embroiled in accusations of corruption and political manipulation.
Previous charges in the broader investigation have been filed against a Catholic priest and two former Ministry of Justice officials, and further proceedings are ongoing in Warsaw and Szczecin courts.
Up to 10 years in prison for former PiS official over Pegasus funding
Woś denies wrongdoing, claiming the funding of the CBA was “fully legal” and that he himself did not purchase Pegasus, but merely approved the transfer of funds. If convicted, he faces between one and ten years in prison.
The Pegasus affair has become a symbol of the PiS government’s alleged use of state institutions to spy on political opponents and journalists, raising deep concerns about the erosion of democracy and rule of law in Poland during the party’s eight years in power.
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Source: Radio Poland/IAR/PR24/X/@PK_GOV_PL