The President of National Bank of Poland Marek Belka has reiterated he would remain at his post, yet again denying allegations that had struck an unlawful deal with the government concerning deficit financing and said he would not resign, referring to the recent tape scandal.
"I reject a supposition that, through this conversation, I participated in some kind of a political deal, it was a conversation about a highly hypothetical situation," he said on Wednesday at a conference following the July sitting of the Monetary Policy Council.
"I have no intention to resign, it would be an admission that the law was broken, something I completely deny," he said.
At issue are tapes of a conversation between Belka and Internal Affairs Minister Bartlomiej Sienkiewicz, in which the former speaks of possibilities for the central bank to buy government debt. Belka lists conditions, including the dismissal of the then-Finance Minister Rostowski and also notes that an amendment to the NBP law would help him "get around" the Monetary Policy Council, to describe which he uses an expletive. Belka also makes vulgar jokes about MPC member Jerzy Hausner.
At the same time, Belka apologized for the harm caused by publication of the tapes.
"I'm very sorry for the public harm that was caused by that deplorable conversation and I'm very sorry towards my institution and my colleagues," he said.
"I'm not saying nothing has happened and I do my best to rebuild the confidence I had enjoyed that has been harmed," Belka said, adding that he wants to do it through "normal work."
Poland’s Monetary Policy Council had earlier issued a statement giving high ratings to its hitherto cooperation with Belka and vowing to "care for the value of Polish currency with equal determination as to date," which has been broadly interpreted as a vote of confidence for the NBP head.
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