Minister of Agriculture Marek Sawicki is to officially present his letter of resignation to Prime Minister Donald Tusk later on Wednesday over alleged irregularities in the ministry's agency responsible for handing out EU farm subsidies.

The politician from the junior coalition partner, the Polish People's Party (PSL), informed PSL leadership of his decision on Tuesday night.

Mr Sawicki's decision to step down comes after the release of a revelatory recording of a conversation between Władysław Serafin, a top member of PSL, and Władysław Łukasik, a former head of the Agriculture Market Agency (ARR), both associates of Mr Sawicki.

In the recording, the former ARR head discusses actions taken by people in the agency, including possible embezzlement of state companies, irregularities in the management of financing for agricultural projects and pressure to employ selected individuals in various agricultural agencies.

During a press conference Thursday, Minister Sawicki thanked the media for their cooperation, adding that he believes that once everything is clarified, they will once more enjoy a good level of communication. He also appealed to the government agencies, prosecutors and the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau to swiftly clarify the situation.

Poland A.M.