“We are playing in Donald Tusk’s theater,” says Karol Nawrocki aide over Zondacrypto case

Paweł Szefernaker, chief of staff to President Karol Nawrocki, described Donald Tusk’s parliamentary intervention on the Zondacrypto case as an “absurd situation.” Speaking to Polsat News, he questioned the legal basis for the prime minister publicly reading material from the investigation.

Tusk read an excerpt from the testimony of a key witness during Friday’s debate in the Sejm over whether to reject the president’s veto of a cryptocurrency law. The testimony mentioned former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro and his wife, Patrycja Kotecka.

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It is inconceivable that the prime minister would come out and quote a defendant’s explanations.

Szefernaker said the quoted material could have come from a defendant rather than a witness. In that case, he argued, it would constitute explanations that do not carry an obligation to tell the truth. “It is inconceivable that the prime minister would come out and quote a defendant’s explanations,” he said. He warned that the move could undermine the investigation and accused Tusk of staging a political performance to divert attention from those harmed by the case.

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We are playing in Donald Tusk’s theater, because we are talking about what Donald Tusk wants to talk about.

The presidential aide also recalled that Tusk had previously said a Russian mafia stood behind the Zondacrypto cryptocurrency exchange. He pointed to Roman Giertych, a deputy leader of the Civic Coalition parliamentary group, later serving as the company owner’s lawyer, and said the case showed how much politics was involved.

Szefernaker further addressed reports that PiS lawmaker Michał Moskal met Zondacrypto chief Przemysław Kral in Ibiza in August 2025. Moskal said he had spoken with Kral once and denied working with him or related entities. Szefernaker said politicians should not travel to Ibiza for such discussions or become involved in foundation activities. “We are playing in Donald Tusk’s theater, because we are talking about what Donald Tusk wants to talk about,” he said.

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If someone enters politics, they should not go to Ibiza to talk even with someone extremely important.