After the so called shipyard affair was revealed to the media, Law and Justice (PiS) representatives criticized the ruling Civic Platform (PO) for not properly checking the background of Abdul Rachman El-Assir, who represented the investor from Qatar who was to take over the shipyards.

PiS deputies claimed that El-Assir was entangled in a corruption scandal in Portugal and was connected to Al-Qaida. Meanwhile, Gazeta Wyborcza claims that Zbigniew Wasserman, the former coordinator of the secret services in the government of PiS, had at that time requested that the Internal Security Agency (ABW) check up on the businessman. Mr Wasserman at that time told the press that, “El-Assir is a man known around the world, entangled in the illegal arms trade." The ABW found that he was not a threat to Poland's security.

When asked by journalists to comment on the allegations, Zbigniew Wassermann said that he could not talk about confidential matters.

Source: Gazeta Wyborcza