October 11, 2017 - 10:14 AM
WARSAW, Poland - Poland's deputy justice minister has proposed new laws to regulate how compensation is paid to people whose properties were seized under communism.
Patryk Jaki, who heads a special commission reviewing controversial cases of Warsaw property restitution, proposed rules limiting who can claim for seized property and when. He also proposed financial compensation instead of direct property restitution.
A lack of comprehensive legislation has led to serious irregularities in the restitution process, and cases where property was returned to dead people or to businessmen unrelated to the original owners have provoked outrage in Poland.
Communists seized large numbers of private real estate in Polish cities when they took power after World War II.
Jaki's proposal needs the approval of the government, the lawmakers and the president.
News from © The Associated Press, 2017