Pegasus investigation: Ernest Bejda will be led by police

On Friday, a erstwhile head of the Central Anticorruption Bureau (CBA) Ernest Bejda, who, according to the papers of the Ministry of Justice, was liable for purchasing the controversial Pegasus system, is expected to appear before the Pegasus committee. Since he has ignored the committee's calls 4 times, he is to be brought in by the police.

The Friday gathering at which the Committee of enquiry for Pegasus has a scheduled proceeding of Ernest Bejda is to begin at 10.30 p.m. On Thursday, committee chief Magdalena Sroka (PSL-TD) said that Bejda was to be brought to the gathering "according to the decision of the court". As she added, there were requests from the committee for the imposition of a fine on the head of the CBA, while after his subsequent non-promotion at the meeting, a request was made for the introduction and on Friday "to be carried out by the police".

On Wednesday, in the investigation on the application of Pegasus software, allegations of breach of rights were heard by erstwhile manager of the CBA Delegation in Warsaw Jarosław W. and erstwhile head of the 1st Operations and Investigation Department of this Delegation of Katarzyna S. This was informed by the spokesperson of the National Prosecutor's Office Przemysław Nowak. The breach of powers was to affect operational and investigative activities for erstwhile president Sopot Jacek Karnowski "despite the deficiency of a factual and legal basis for this".

We cooperate with the National Prosecutor's Office on an ongoing basis, we besides pass on our findings that aid with the ongoing investigation and hence results in the form of detention of erstwhile CBA officers who have already heard the charges. We are besides working further," stressed Magpie. On Wednesday, in an interview with “Rzeczpospolita” Bejda, he stressed that the allegations made to the officers “are of a strictly political nature”. I am absolutely convinced of the integrity of the detainees. They are professional, they did hard things," said the head of the CBA quoted by “Rz”.

According to the Vice-President of the Committee on Pegasus Tomasz Treli (Levice), "there are quite a few questions for Mr Bejda in terms of both the purchasing and functional, usable, Pegasus system". "We have quite a few evidence collected in secret, which we cannot talk about," added the MP. He was actually overseeing the Central Anti-corruption Bureau. We know who he was. We know who supervised him," said Trela.

Ernest Bejda was to attest before the Pegasus committee on March 31, but did not appear at the sitting. It was the 4th effort of his interrogation. In early April, the Ministry of Justice published declassified papers concerning the acquisition of the Pegasus system. It follows that the agreement to transfer PLN 25 million to the Central Anti-corruption Office in 2017 was signed by then Deputy Minister of Justice Michał Woś and head of CBA Ernest Bejda.

The Commission is investigating whether the usage of Pegasus surveillance software by the government, peculiar services and police at the time erstwhile the PiS ruled was lawful. The Commission is besides to find who was liable for buying Pegasus and akin tools for Polish authorities. According to the information provided by NIK, the Pegasus strategy was purchased in the autumn of 2017 for CBA, from funds derived in the main part (25 million PLN) from the Justice Fund (supervised by the Ministry of Justice).

In 2020, NIK conducted a check on the acquisition of Pegasus. The audit showed that the strategy was purchased without a tender and the contract for its transportation was signed with the NSO Group, which is an Israeli spy software producer. According to NIK, the Pegasus strategy was utilized for surveillance of at least 33 people, including politicians, lawyers and journalists.

In July 2021, the Sejm set up a peculiar investigation committee for Pegasus, which aims to analyse the circumstances of acquisition and usage of the Pegasus strategy in Poland. The Commission is made up of 15 Members and is prepared to hear dozens of witnesses, including erstwhile and current peculiar services and police officers.

According to European Commission data, in 2020 Poland was 1 of the largest users of Pegasus in the European Union. The Pegasus strategy was utilized to surveillance thousands of people around the world, including dissidents, journalists and politicians. In 2020, the UN condemned the usage of Pegasus to monitor dissidents and journalists, identifying them as "a violation of human rights".

Investigations are besides ongoing in another countries, including Spain, Italy and France. In July 2021, the Spanish prosecution launched an investigation into the usage of the Pegasus strategy for surveillance of dissidents and journalists. In August 2021, the Italian prosecution launched an investigation into the usage of the Pegasus strategy for surveillance of politicians and journalists. In October 2021, the French prosecution launched an investigation into the usage of the Pegasus strategy for surveillance of French president Emmanuel Macron.

The Pegasus case is 1 of the biggest political scandals in Poland's history. According to the polls, over 70% of Poles believe that the Pegasus case should be clarified and punished. In July 2021, the Sejm adopted a resolution on Pegasus, in which it demands clarification of the circumstances of acquisition and usage of the Pegasus strategy in Poland.