Smolensk report pins blame on 150 people?
PR dla Zagranicy
John Beauchamp
19.07.2011 11:27
Poland’s official report into the causes and circumstances of 2010’s Smolensk disaster was submitted to the prime minister late last month, although ahead of its long-awaited publication, details have leaked out with reports that as many as 150 names have been listed as bearing responsibility for the crash.
According to reports, amongst those listed are the pilots themselves and their superiors in the Air Force, the Military and at the Ministry of Defence.
Responsibility for oversights concerning preparation for the flight is likewise lumped with members of the Office of the President and that of the Prime Minister, and staff at the Foreign Ministry and the Government Protection Bureau. However, the names of the aforementioned are apparently not put forward, and instead, the institutions themselves are named.
Although the report was technically complete in February, it has been claimed that the main reason for the delay was a dispute between two sections of the Committee for Investigation of National Aviation Accidents, which is headed by Minister of the Interior Jerzy Miller.
“The military part of the committee is in dispute with the civilian experts,” a source told the Fakt daily, a tabloid.
According to the civilian experts, the brunt of the blame lies with the military, a conclusion that could prompt a major fall-out in the forces.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that the Russians themselves are apportioned a significant share of the blame, with the report highlighting a series of errors by the airport controllers in Smolensk. (nh/jb)
Source: IAR/Fakt