Macierewicz, a former defense minister and key figure in the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, is accused of unlawfully disclosing top secret information while heading a controversial state commission that reinvestigated the 2010 presidential air crash near Smolensk, western Russia.
Bodnar made the announcement on Friday in a statement posted on the social media platform X.
He said prosecutors believe Macierewicz revealed classified information, including documents marked “top secret,” “secret,” “confidential,” and “restricted,” while serving as chair of the so-called Smolensk subcommittee and a member of official aviation investigation bodies.
These disclosures allegedly included materials relating to the circumstances and causes of the 2010 disaster, which killed Polish President Lech Kaczyński and 95 others.
The allegations are part of a broader investigation by the National Public Prosecutor’s Office, where a dedicated investigative team, established in November, has launched seven separate criminal probes.
According to National Prosecutor’s Office spokeswoman Anna Adamiak, five of these were opened on November 18 and concern a total of 21 suspected offenses.
These range from the mishandling of classified materials and abuse of office to forgery, financial mismanagement, and obstruction of justice.
The request to lift Macierewicz’s parliamentary immunity follows a major government report published in October that exposed extensive misconduct by the subcommittee he led.
That report, presented by current Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, accused the panel of promoting a politically motivated theory that the crash was caused by an explosion, despite evidence to the contrary.
Investigators concluded that Macierewicz had pressured experts to support this version of events, and one of them claimed to have been blackmailed.
The report also found that Macierewicz was in possession of evidence indicating the crash was caused by a collision with a tree and impact with the ground, not an onboard bomb.
In total, the assessment team, led by air force auditor Col. Leszek Błach, filed 41 notifications of suspected criminal activity, including 10 which concern Macierewicz’s successor at the defense ministry, Mariusz Błaszczak.
The report also revealed that five pieces of physical evidence were destroyed and 19 others went missing on the subcommittee’s watch.
Intelligence services had issued multiple warnings to senior officials, including Błaszczak and PiS party leader Jarosław Kaczyński, about irregularities. One intelligence report flagged a 2020 meeting between Macierewicz and a Russian national.
The subcommittee was active from 2016 until its dissolution by the current government. Its total cost exceeded PLN 81 million (about USD 20 million), with more than PLN 5 million allocated to salaries.
Officials noted that some members lacked the necessary qualifications to investigate aviation accidents, and Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk said several had earned "hundreds of thousands of zlotys."
Under Polish law, members of parliament are protected from prosecution unless the chamber votes to lift their immunity. A request to do so must be approved by an absolute majority of all sitting lawmakers.
If that vote passes, a court must then decide whether to authorize an arrest or formal charges. If the Sejm rejects the request, the case cannot proceed.
The 2010 air crash and its aftermath remain a divisive issue in Polish politics, often fueling tensions between PiS supporters and critics of the party’s legacy.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP