Deputy justice minister Łukasz Piebiak is said to have been behind organised hate campaign and discrediting of judges critical of the reforms of the Polish judiciary introduced by the ruling coalition - Onet.pl website wrote on Monday.

According to Monday's publication by Onet.pl, the deputy minister of justice Łukasz Piebiak has "arranged and controlled a campaign" that was aimed to discredit judge Krystian Markiewicz, the head of the Polish Judges Association "Iustitia". The association has openly criticised changes made to the Polish justice system, implemented by the ruling Law and Justice party.

Piebiak's associate called "Emilia" (Onet.pl knows her real name but has decided not to reveal it) was directly responsible for spreading materials discrediting Markiewicz. In order to do so, she was sending discrediting information regarding his private life to the media and "Iustitia" departments. Onet.pl wrote that "Emilia" also sent a letter to Markiewicz's home address, which she had received from Piebiak. Onet reassured that they're in possession of evidence of the deputy minister fully approving of the plan.

Information about Markiewicz, according to Onet, "were based on an anonymous story containing gossip, hearsay and speculation regarding his private life, including intimate relations with women, as well as methods of building his position in the judicial circles".

"We don't lock up for doing good"

In the correspondence between Emilia and Piebiak mentioned by Onet, the woman wrote: "I will talk to journalists and send letters. Anonymously by email. But also by letters. The only problem is I don't have addresses and e-mails. I will do everything as I can, as always. I will not vouch for the result but I will try. I hope they don't lock me up".

Łukasz Piebiak is said to have answered: "We don't lock up for doing good".

In the materials sent out by Emilia, Onet writes, a suggestion also appeared, that Markiewicz was encouraging an unknown woman to get an abortion".

Emilia: I may have harmed at least 20 judges

Onet also wrote that they have evidence proving that "Emilia was in direct contact with minister Piebiak, with whom, via WhatsApp and Messenger, she was discussing methods to discredit judges in the social media and pro-government media".

The portal has published two screenshots showing messages exchanged by Emilia and Piebiak.

In conversation with with Onet, Emilia admitted that she was "ashamed of what she had been doing and that her actions may have harmed at least 20 judges".

Asked by Onet about contacts with Emilia, Piebiak replied: "I've heard that some correspondence leaked out, but I don't know what's in it, and that's why I won't comment". He confirmed, however, that he knew her "from Twitter". Asked about the thread regarding the chief of "Iustitia", he said: "I don't recall any contacts regarding Markiewicz. That's all I have to say. I'm on vacation".

Piebiak "grateful for such beautiful and flourishing activities"

Onet also described another case of cooperation between Emilia and Piebiak. Together they were also preparing a TVP (Polish public TV) media attack on judge Piotr Gąciarek from the Warsaw branch of "Iustitia".

Onet wrote that the case pertained to a relation between Gąciarek and a woman. The judge met her online, five years earlier, they never met in person. He sent her expensive gifts and claims that he also lent her money. When the woman ended the relationship, the judge demanded the return of the loan, which never happened.

Gąciarek then notified the prosecutor's office, eventually the case ended in court, which sentenced the woman for fraud. Meanwhile, TVP introduced her as the victim of judge Gąciarek, who was to use his professional position and acquaintance to convict the woman.

At the beginning of April 2018, the woman informed him that "journalist Wenerski (Przemysław Wenerski is the head of the editorial staff of the program 'Alarm!' TVP1) got in contact with lady of judge Gąciarek".

"Maybe a small scandal will break out in the Alarm program. I hope I didn't disappoint," she wrote.

The deputy of the Ministry of Justice wrote back, that "he can only be grateful for such beautiful and flourishing activities".

Immediately after the broadcast of the program on TVP, Emilia asked Deputy Minister Piebiak about his impressions. He wrote to her that it was "great".

"I just send it to the Boss to make him happy" - he said.

Piebiak resigns

Deputy justice Minister Łukasz Piebiak said he was resigning on Tuesday.

"With a sense of responsibility for the success of reforms to which I have devoted four years of hard work, I am handing in my resignation from the office of undersecretary of state to the minister of justice," Piebiak said in a statement sent to state-run news agency PAP.

Poland's prime minister demanded explanations on Tuesday about accusations that a deputy minister sought to discredit judges critical of the government's judicial reforms by planting media rumours about their private lives.

"We definitely need to listen to both sides and we will see what the explanation will be and then make the right decisions," Morawiecki told a televised news conference during an election campaign rally.