Prosecutors Review Hospital Director's Phone in Lenz Son's Surgery Leak Probe

In brief

• Prosecutors are investigating the handling of the case regarding the leak about Senator Tomasz Lenz's son's surgery.
• The investigation involves examining whether the actions taken by the prosecution violated civil rights and freedoms.
• The hospital director's phone was seized because billing records showed contact with a Wirtualna Polska reporter.
• The initial report detailed irregularities in the medical procedure for Lenz's son in March.

Review of Hospital Director's Phone Records

Prosecutors secured the phone belonging to the director of the hospital in Aleksandrów Kujawski because billing records indicated contact with a reporter from Wirtualna Polska (Afera byłego senatora Lenza. Żurek reaguje na doniesienia mediów – Dziennik.pl) (Tak prokuratura "szuka" naszych informatorów w sprawie afery senatora Lenza – Wirtualna Polska). The action was taken within an investigation led by the District Prosecutor's Office in Bydgoszcz, which concerns the disclosure of details about a medical procedure performed on the minor son of former Civic Coalition senator Tomasz Lenz in mid-March at the hospital in Aleksandrów Kujawski (Prokuratura "dobiera się do bilingów" dziennikarza? Jest reakcja Waldemara Żurka – Onet).

Justice Minister Orders Review

Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek said he learned of the prosecutorial steps from media reports (Afera byłego senatora KO. Minister Żurek reaguje na doniesienia mediów – Onet). On Wednesday, he announced that he and National Prosecutor Dariusz Korneluk would examine whether the investigation infringed on the rights and freedoms of citizens (Żurek sprawdza działania prokuratury w sprawie syna senatora Lenza. Chodzi o tajemnicę dziennikarską – GazetaPrawna.pl). Żurek stressed that freedom of the press and the public's right to information are essential components of a democratic state, while noting that prosecutors independently determine investigative measures (Żurek reaguje na sprawę syna Lenza. Zapowiada konkretne działania – Wirtualna Polska).

Case Background

Wirtualna Polska reported that on March 15, then-senator and regional KO leader Tomasz Lenz visited the hospital with a close relative (Afera senatora Tomasza Lenza. Prokuratura drąży, kto ujawnił nieprawidłowości – Onet). According to the report, the medical procedure was conducted outside standard protocols, bypassing the admissions department and the waiting list, and without formal documentation. Lenz said the published reports affected not only him but also his family's security and dignity.

Focus on the Source of the Leak

Investigators have focused on identifying the person who provided information to the journalists, and the hospital director has also faced repercussions. Janczura and the portal described the phone seizure as an attempt to circumvent journalistic confidentiality. Wirtualna Polska maintains that the case highlights the danger of breaching source confidentiality (Zabieg syna senatora KO w publicznym szpitalu. Prokuratura szuka informatora – Rzeczpospolita).