Warsaw, Mar 1 (AP) Prosecutors in Poland have opened an investigation into some emails from the hacked mailbox of a former government official on suspicion that classified information could have been leaked, opposition lawmakers said Wednesday. The investigation is connected to the private mailbox of an aide to Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki that was hacked in 2021.

The aide, Michal Dworczyk, resigned last year.

Government officials have blamed Russian and Belarusian hackers and cast doubt over the authenticity of the leaked correspondence, which included email exchanges with Morawiecki and government advisers.

Two opposition lawmakers who notified prosecutors about the leaks said they were informed that a probe was launched into one of the email threads.

They said the investigation relates to Dworczyk’s communications with his defense adviser, who provided him with information about weapons, some of which was described as “top classified.”

Poland is a NATO member.

The opposition lawmakers said the decision by prosecutors to open the investigation last week confirmed that the hacking of Dworczyk’s mailbox was a major issue and the leaked emails were genuine.

“The state has officially said the matter is confirmed and serious,” said Cezary Tomczyk of the Civic Platform party.

Tomczyk and another lawmaker, Adam Szlapka, said high officials discussing classified matters in correspondence from private email accounts without adequate security compromised Morawiecki’s government and the ruling Law and Justice party. (AP) VM