On the joint work of Russian investigators and Polish prosecutors in a criminal case on the Polish TU-154plane crash in the period from 01 to 16 February 2011


The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation and the Chief Military Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Poland continue criminal investigation into the crash of the Polish aircraft Tu-154 tail number 101 of the Republic of Poland which carried out the flight 10.04.2010 Warsaw – Smolensk “Severniy”. There were 88 passengers and 8 crew members who died in the crash. The delegation headed by the President of Poland Lech Kaczynski was heading to Katyn.

In accordance with a request for legal assistance by the competent authorities of the Republic of Poland from 1 to February 16, 2011 in Moscow prosecutors of the District Military Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw of Poland Lt. Col. Karol Kopchik and Major Jaroslaw Sei together with the Russian investigators have made many important investigatory actions.

In accordance with the agreed plan of joint work in this period of time in the presence of Polish prosecutors and under the criminal procedural legislation of the Russian Federation, air traffic controllers who on April 10, 2010 recieved Polish planes on the airfield Smolensk “Severniy” including the crashed Polish aircraft Tu-154M, and other officials involved in organizing and preparing the reception of Polish aircraft have been interrogated as witnesses.

During these interrogations were established important circumstances to determine the truth of the case relating to the admission of the Polish aircraft Tu-154 to the airfield Smolensk “Severniy” including replies to all questions of the Polish side. Controllers answered all the questions asked, including those by the Polish prosecutors. The Polish side asked mainly about controllers’ qualification, preparation of the airfield to receive the Polish plane, actions and decisions made by the flight direction team on arrival of Polish and Russian aircraft on10 April 2010.

February 11, 2011 in the presence of Polish military prosecutors a safe sealed by the Polish and Russian representatives, which contained magnetic recording of airborne recorders from the crashed Polish plane was opened in the Interstate Aviation Committee. Polish prosecutors made no claims on the terms of storage and preservation of airborne recorders records, and no complaints on the course of investigation and the evidence inspection report. That has been certified by their signatures at investigation report.

It should be noted that the joint work of Russian investigators and Polish prosecutors conducted with the full understanding and strict observance of the norms of international treaties and criminal procedural legislation of the Russian Federation.

In the near future copies of documentation of investigation performed during a joint operation of Polish prosecutors and Russian investigators in Moscow will be sent through the General prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation to the competent authorities of the Republic of Poland.

According to the results of joint work the two sides noted that all planned investigative activities have been carried out in full and the issues have been discussed that may have arisen during the joint work by both Russian investigators in the Republic of Poland and the Polish prosecutors in the Russian Federation.

The information contained in the press release, is indorsed by the head of the investigative group of the Investigative Committee of Russia, who investigates the criminal case and by prosecutors of the District Military Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw.

16 February 2011 13:55

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