Konrad Kornatowski

Konrad Kornatowski (born July 16, 1957) is a Polish lawyer (prosecutor) and policeman; from February 12 to August 8 Polish Chief of Police. On August 9, 2007, he resigned as Poland's Chief of Police in protest of the sacking on the same day of Interior Minister Janusz Kaczmarek.

On August 30, 2007, Kornatowski was detained and publicly accused of obstruction of justice. The charges against Kornatowski initially were widely regarded in the Polish press and by politicians as nothing more than a political dirty trick intended to block Kornatowski's scheduled testimony before parliament about the present Polish government's secret program of wiretapping opposition politicians. Kornatowski's arrest, took place one day prior to his testimony, which was cancelled because of his detention. On August 31, 2007, Kornatowski was released on bail. Prosecutors presented to him charges of hampering the investigation and urging to false testimonies. On the press conference on August 31 prosecutors presented several evidences supporting the credibility of these charges.

Former Interior Minister Kaczmarek was arrested at the same time as Kornatowski on August 30, and also released on August 31. On September 6, 2007, a Warsaw criminal court judge declared the arrest of Kaczmarek to have been irregular and even illegal. Contrary to this, the same court on October 10 decided that the arrests of Kornatowski and Netzel were legal and regular.

References

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6970981.stm Sacked Polish minister arrested] , BBC News, Thursday, 30 August 2007
*The Associated Press, [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/30/europe/EU-GEN-Poland-Former-Official-Arrested.php Polish special police arrest former interior minister] , August 30, 2007, International Herald Tribune
*http://www.gazetawyborcza.pl/1,82049,4448912.html
*http://www.efluxmedia.com/news_Polish_Watergate_Looming_After_Former_Minister_is_Detained_08165.html
*http://www.tvn24.pl/-1,1519902,wiadomosc.html (evidences against Kaczmarek, Kornatowski and Netzel)
*http://www.tvn24.pl/-1,1520490,wiadomosc.html (Kaczmarek arrest unlawful...)
*http://www.gazetawyborcza.pl/1,76842,4566696.html (...but arrests of Kornatowski and Netzel lawful and regular)