Andrzej Lepper and Stanisław Łyżwiński

Contributed by: Agnieszka Mrozik, Poland National VAW Monitor

The prosecutors from Łódź went to Lublin with their notebooks full of names of witnesses. On January 3, they picked up an important witness’s trail. An ex-activist from Samoobrona described precisely the situation from 2002 when Andrzej Lepper, the leader of Samoobrona, after a boozy diner in Lublin, offered her and her friend a “career” if only they spent a night with him. They refused.

The prosecutor: “This is an important testimony. Moreover, the woman decided to report an offence.”

“Gazeta Wyborcza” was notified about this case by Konrad Ręks, ex-activist from Lublin branch of Samoobrona, who was examined by the prosecutor. Ręks: “Both women walked Lepper to his room in the hotel. Several hours later they revealed that he touched them up and made them some obscene proposals.”

Andrzej Szadura, another ex-activist from Samoobrona, testified the same: “Drunk Lepper was walked to his room by two young women.”

The prosecutor would like to examine the other woman, but one may not be sure whether she decides to testify; she still works for Samoobrona.

“Gazeta Wyborcza” attempted to contact Andrzej Lepper, but without any result. Ręks, who testified against Lepper, was later threatened with sue for compensation.

The first month of an inquiry against “deriving personal benefits in nature of the sexual by the public persons” is coming to an end. The inquiry was opened just after “Gazeta Wyborcza” published its article “Job in exchange of sex in Samoobrona.” Attorney General, Janusz Kaczmarek, said that consequently Stanisław Łyżwiński, the MP from Samoobrona, will be charged of sexual harassment and rape.

Compiled from: Marcin Kącki, Wojciech Andrusiewicz, Jest doniesienie o molestowaniu przez Leppera, "Gazeta Wyborcza", last access 21 January 2007; unofficial translation by Agnieszka Mrozik/