Pegasus surveillance
In its publication, Gazeta Wyborcza analysed the provision of the National Public Prosecutor's Office Group No. 3, which shows that a erstwhile CBA informant from the time of the Law and Justice Government was accused of knowingly communicating false information to the authoritative of that service. As a result, both received allegations related to the fabrication of evidence. The order was public and clearly revealed the peculiar methods of action utilized by the services.
The victim is Jacek Karnowski, politician of the Civic Platform, long-standing president of Sopot, and now MP KO and Deputy Minister of Funds and Regional Policy, who was watched utilizing Pegasus. Suspects are Jarosław W., a CBA officer, previously leading Mark Falenta convicted in a wiretap scandal for illegally recording PO-PSL politicians, and Bartłomiej B., president of the Sopot Tennis Club, in 2019–2022 a individual origin of CBA information.
The case clearly has a political character, as Jacek Karnowski was considered 1 of the close associates of Prime Minister Donald Tusk at the time. The local government besides belonged to a group of politicians active in the opposition organization before the 2019 parliamentary elections, including the creation of the alleged legislature Pact — the civilian Coalition, the Polish People's organization (PSL) and the Left in the 2019 legislature elections.
An affair with a tennis club in the background
According to Gazeta Wyborcza, Operation “Muppety” was conducted in the ellipse of CBA-related persons not only professionally but besides in terms of political views. It was part of an organized “service system”, in which the ministers of the coordinators were PiS politicians Mariusz Kamiński and Maciej Wąsik, with Zbigniew Ziobro acting as lawyer General and Minister of Justice.
Jarosław W. presently serves as vice president of Sopot Tennis Club, and his erstwhile agent, Bartłomiej B., is president of the club. Bartłomiej B. informed “Electoral”, that he did not intend to comment on ongoing preparatory proceedings conducted by the National Prosecutor's Office.
The Wyborcza paper reports that it is not known from what information provided by Bartłomiej B. the Operation "Muppets" began. Only the evaluation of the prosecutor's office is known, which indicates that it was a classical service operation based on conscious falsification of materials to solve the political opponent. A leading officer and his origin shared political views, and in addition to ideological motivations, there was besides a private conflict associated with Sopot's dispute over areas utilized by the Sopot Tennis Courts.
The diary besides recalls that B. has been in conflict with Karnowski for years. The dispute concerns about 2 hectares of clubland which Karnowski as president wanted to defend from private construction, entering them in the registry of monuments and temporarily handing over the Sopot Tennis Club Association. In 2023, the Sopot Tennis Club won in court and regained court management.
Russian Thread
In 2018, a Russian thread besides appeared in the case. Karnowski pointed out that the Sopot Tennis Club borrowed money from companies associated with reprivatization in Warsaw, having Russian capital. Elżbieta Jakubiak, representing the club, however, denied these allegations, explaining that the means to get out of bankruptcy came from 1 of the members of the CCC.
