Polish minister steps aside to defend past business dealings

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A Polish junior minister and valuable ally of the governing right-wing coalition says he is temporarily stepping aside from his cabinet duties to defend himself against allegations over his past business dealings. Deputy Sports and Tourism Minister Lukasz Mejza, who is an independent lawmaker in Poland’s parliament, said on Twitter Friday that he needed time to defend his “good name.” Mejza, 30, joined the government in October. The government is three votes short of a parliamentary majority. But soon after his appointment, media reports claimed Mejza was involved in a failed venture that marketed alleged medication for cancer or Parkinson’s disease that had not been approved by Poland’s health authorities.