“Adam Niedzielski could have applied to the police for protection after he finished his term as health minister, but he did not,” Kierwiński told reporters on Thursday.
The politician added that the former minister had not reported receiving any threats.
Kierwiński said the attack in Siedlce, eastern Poland, on 27 August at around 3 p.m., when two men assaulted Niedzielski outside a restaurant, was not connected to the withdrawal of his official security detail.
Poland’s interior ministry: Niedzielski had security but did not request continued protection
The minister noted that between August and December 2023, after leaving government, Niedzielski continued to have access to State Protection Service (SOP) officers but made little use of the security detail himself.
“He either cancelled his protection officers or did not notify them at all,” Kierwiński said, adding that Niedzielski himself asked for security at his home to be withdrawn the day after stepping down.
Deputy interior minister Czesław Mroczek explained that SOP protection is discretionary and normally granted only to top state officials.
While it typically ends when a minister leaves office, Niedzielski remained covered until December 2023.
“This protection continues for a limited period after leaving office, according to the general rules governing SOP,” Mroczek told broadcaster Wirtualna Polska.
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Source: IAR/PAP/TVP Info/Wp.pl/MSWiA