Poland's central bank chief Balcerowicz blasts banking probe

Poland's respected central bank chief Leszek Balcerowicz on Friday refused to stand before a parliamentary special committee set up to probe allegations of wrongdoing in Poland's banking sector. However, the architect of Poland's early 1990s liberal "shock therapy" programme which successfully introduced market reforms to the communist command economy, Balcerowicz said he was prepared to face the special committee if he were ordered to do so by Poland's Constitutional Tribunal.

The parliamentary committee on Friday moved to prosecute Balcerowicz for having refused to testify before it. He could face a fine or be required to appear for questioning.

The central bank chief said his refusal was rooted in his obligation as Poland's central banker to maintain the institution's full neutrality and prevent politicians from exerting pressure on it.

"The president of the National Bank of Poland cannot be called to stand before the committee under any pretext," Balcerowicz told Poland's TVN24 news channel.

"Nothing of this kind has ever happened in the civilised world," he said of the special committee spear-headed by Poland's ruling right-wing populist Law and Justice (PiS) -led coalition government.

Balcerowicz alleged the actions of the parliamentary committee against him were an act of "revenge" for Poland's Banking Supervisory Board position on the recent UniCredit take-over of Poland's BPH bank.

Balcerowicz heads the board, which had refused to succumb to government demands to block the take-over.

He also alleged the right-wing populist Law and Justice (PiS)-led coalition government had destroyed independent supervision of Poland's banking sector, crucial to its proper operation.
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