ALLEGED SPY PLOT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27078, 12 May 1949, Page 7

ALLEGED SPY PLOT

CHARGES IN BRITAIN POLISH DIPLOMAT NAMED AS INITIATOR NZPA—Copyright > ■. LONDON. May 1A Details of an alleged spy plot in England initiated, according to the prosecution, by the assistant military attache at the P°hsh Embassy in London, were unfolded at the Manchester Magistrates Court to-day. The prosecution alleged that the assistant military attache directed agent to obtain information about arr force groups in Lancashire to find out whether atom bombs had been sent to England, and whether Amencln commandos and parachutists were be Ma g ri S an nt ‘Kaczmarek. a S ed 40, | Polish subject, who cpe to Charges in 1946, appeared on eight cnarges under the Official Secrets Act, alleging espionage and incitement to espionage. He was committed for trial at Man Ch Mr 6 E A C. iZ Robey, prosecuting, said that two years after Kaczmarek came to England he' was - introduced to Major Kajdy, assistant mihtary attache +r> thp Polish Embassy in. London. --jMy Robey, said- that Kajdy had- syg--gested to kaczmarek''that he should introduce into the . spy nng some person who could speak Ukrainian. Toward* 'the end of last year Kaczmarek became associated wta-a man named Balusz and told him to get information* in return for which he would be paid money.. Evidence would be given by Balusz that he was in financial difficulties last autumn and was grateful ior the assistance he - ceived from Kaczmarek. Although Balusz did not like the ideaofactng oc a sdv. he was led into it througn his gratitude, and he agreed that he should act as a spy. _ nf Kaczmarek ggve Balusz a number of written questionnaires about once a *°The g first of these questionnaires, said Mr Robey, referred to the type of aircraft cargo , arriving at Liverpool and its destination, military units in the vicinity, and aircraft defences. The second related to underground airfields in Scotland, and the recruiting age for Polish- volunteers accepted m ; tne Royal Air Force. The third mentioned transport movements fiom America to Liverpool, cargo destination, location of Ukrainians, and the attitude of’the English towards Ukrainians, and antiaircraft defences. , .. ~. . On February 27 Balusz decided that he could" not carry on. •He went to the police and told them about his relationship with Kaczmarek, and about what Kaczmarek was inciting him to do. Thereafter he acted on police instructions. Kaczmarek continued to ask him for information, and on March 5 he dictated another questionnaire to Balusz. This asked whether the British were training in American 829 planes, and for descriptions and, details of local airfields. ' Balusz. on April 6, was introduced in Liverpool to Kajdy. “Balusz will tell you he had a long talk with Kajdy, and was given money by him,” said Mr Robey. Later Balusz reported to Kaczmarek. giving him. under the directions of the police, written information. On April 20 Kaczmarek was asked to meet Balusz in Manchester. He kept the appointment, and Balusz gave him a document containing secret information. Kaczmarek put this in his pocket. He was arrested im mediately. Then Kaczmarek accompanied the police to his lodgings where he produced three documents from inside the toe of his shoe.” Zygmund Balusz gave evidence along the/lines indicated by Mr Robey. Mr Robey then read a long statement alleged to have been made by Kaczmarek. It * said that in 1936 Kaczmarek. a regular army officer on the Polish General Staff in Warsaw, had done a special course for security officers in case of war against the Germans. Kaczmarek was taken prisoner by the Germans in September, 1939. After the war he served as a security officer in Italy. He had failed several times to get his wife and child out of Poland. “ I was told that if I secured certain information for the embassy my wife would be brought to England," said Kaczmarek. . - - Kaczmarek said Major Kajdy had paid him money in return for infor mation. When, he asked for news of his wife, Kajdy told him h e could return to Poland as soon as Kajdy could find a successor for him in the work of securing secret information. “ I always did as Major Kajdy told me." said Kaczmarek.