Фото: SKW
Head of Poland’s Military Counterintelligence Service, General Jarosław Stróżyk, disclosed some details of a spy case involving the country’s Ministry of National Defense in an interview with PAP. A mid-level ministry employee was detained earlier this month and charged with espionage. It was reported that he had worked for one of the “eastern” countries.
“This individual had worked at the Ministry of National Defense since the early 1990s, which shows that anyone, at any age, can succumb to the temptation to betray the state. This official worked in the most important departments of the ministry, dealing with strategy, defense planning, and international security,” Stróżyk said.
According to him, the suspect graduated from the Faculty of Philology at the University of Warsaw. He worked in various units, including departments of the General Staff.
“Over the years, he took part in many important conferences and traveled abroad on official business, including for extended periods. As a result, we are dealing with a person who over the years became acquainted with thousands of people, including those holding key positions,” he added.
The head of counterintelligence believes that the detainee may have possessed extensive knowledge of processes within the Ministry of Defense. The man also had access to classified materials, having passed a counterintelligence vetting in 2021.
Stróżyk declined to disclose how long the suspect may have been working for a foreign intelligence service, citing the secrecy of the investigation. He described the arrest as a success for counterintelligence. He also noted that some details previously reported in the media undermine that success. In particular, this concerns claims that the suspect was exposed after becoming stuck on the territory of Belarus.
“In turn, the version circulated by some parliamentarians that this gentleman was discovered by the human resources services of the Ministry of National Defense when he failed to return from a trip to Belarus is an example of unjustified discrediting of this case and, above all, a sign of disrespect for the painstaking and many years of work carried out by my subordinates — operational officers and analysts involved in this case,” Stróżyk said.
Answering a question about the suspect’s trip to Belarus, the general noted that legislation does not provide for restrictions on travel abroad for civilian personnel, and the detainee was a civilian employee. At the same time, he spoke in favor of introducing certain restrictions for individuals holding important positions.