Poland to spend $25m on security and intelligence after judge’s escape

May 14, Pozirk. One hundred million zlotys ($25.2 million) will be allocated from the prime minister’s reserve to strengthen Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) and Foreign Intelligence Agency (AW), Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told a press conference in Warsaw today.

According to RMF24, a decision has been made to “re-establish ABW offices in the country,” which will require money. Tusk also said, citing the AW leadership, that “recent years have severely weakened the efficiency” of the agency.

Besides, the leader said that Poland will not accept migrants under the migration pact approved by EU government ministers on May 14, as it has already taken in hundreds of thousands of refugees from Ukraine and tens of thousands of resettled people from Belarus.

Tusk announced additional funding for security and intelligence after Judge Tomasz Szmydt of the Provincial Administrative Court in Warsaw had fled to Belarus.

Yesterday the former head of the Military Counterintelligence Service (SKW), Piotr Pytel, told Gazeta Wyborcza that none of the classified documents to which Szmydt had access was related to Poland’s defense potential.

Szmydt’s defection was reported on May 6.

Also read: Polish PM promises to fortify shared border with Belarus amid surge in illegal crossings