Polish Authorities Try To Seize Magazine’s Files

WARSAW, Poland (AP) – Polish security forces are raiding the headquarters of a magazine that recently published material that is compromising to the government, and are trying to seize the office’s computers.

Editor Sylwester Latkowski is refusing to hand the computers over to agents from the Internal Security Agency, and it’s not clear how the standoff Wednesday evening will be resolved.

Some legal experts are accusing the authorities of violating freedom of press.

The magazine, Wprost, in recent days has released secretly made recordings of the interior minister and the central bank chief discussing an under-the-table political deal.

In the recorded conversation, National Bank of Poland chief Marek Belka and Interior Minister Bartlomiej Sienkiewicz discussed how the bank might use its power to help the government win re-election in 2015, a violation of the bank’s independence.