In 2023, as the president of Orlen, Daniel Obajtek decided to remove the controversial issue of the weekly “NIE” from the offer of the company's gas stations and Ruch kiosks. The reason, as he explained, was to offend religious feelings.
On Thursday, the PiS politician defended his decision before the JURI commission, arguing that the request to deprive him of his immunity is unjustified.
– They want to take away my immunity for this cover and ultimately throw me in prison – says Obajtek in a recording published in an entry on the X social media platform, showing the mentioned cover of the weekly.
“I do not consent to destroying the authority of Saint John Paul II and offending religious feelings,” we read in the entry.
Immunity under the microscope of the JURI committee
As Krzysztof Śmiszek, MEP of the New Left, said: every politician who is at risk of having his immunity lifted has the right to present his arguments. Daniel Obajtek took advantage of this opportunity, and his interrogation lasted over an hour. The politician answered numerous questions, and PiS MEPs came to his defense.
This is not the first time that the JURI committee has dealt with Obajtek's immunity. In October, the European Parliament revoked his immunity due to allegations of exceeding his powers while serving as president of Orlen..
Read also: Will Daniel Obajtek stand trial? There is an indictment
The point was to conclude two contracts for detective services, which, according to the EP, were to serve Obajtek's private interests, and not the security or economic interests of the concern.
Procedure for lifting immunity
An application to waive the immunity of an MEP is submitted by national authorities and goes to the EP Legal Committee, which prepares a report on the subject.
The MEP has the right to present his explanations, which Daniel Obajtek did during Thursday's hearing. The decision to waive immunity is taken by the entire European Parliament by a simple majority.
Read also: Will Daniel Obajtek hear charges from the prosecutor's office? Unofficially: there is a deadline
It is worth emphasizing that the waiver of immunity does not mean that the MEP is guilty. However, it opens the way to judicial proceedings by national authorities. In the event of a conviction, the decision to revoke the mandate of an MEP rests with the Member State where the politician comes from.
