Smolensk catastrophe. Witness: she was aware that the airport is closed – Polish Radio

The District Court in Warsaw continued the trial of former chief of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister Tomasz Arabic and four other officials, defendants in private by some families of the victims of the Smolensk disaster of negligence in the organization of the visit of President of April 10, 2010.

Witness Maciej J. official as the President’s Office dealt with foreign affairs. He testified that from his superior, Minister Mariusz Handzlik, he learned that there were pressures from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that the president did not flying to Katyn.

– The fact that the airport is closed existed in the consciousness at the moment of preparing this visit – said J. He added that “given the previous visit, the Russians to our requests supplied equipment and the people who served them.”

According to J. variant to land elsewhere, he was not considered because “the distances are huge, to land in Moscow and drive cars to Smolensk.” He testified that the question whether the airport was fit to hold, does not lie within the competence of his office. – Airport somehow functioned – he said.

Witness in March 2010, he sent an e-mail to a colleague of the Polish Communist Party, to see “what is the airport in Smolensk,” because there is a rumor that “The Russians say that it is not working. ” Asked if there was any reaction, J. replied that he does not remember.

J. He testified that the Russians said that during the visit of Donald Tusk on April 7 airport in Smolensk will be fully ready, but added that “maintaining full readiness on April 10 will be difficult.” At the same time the witness added, “was that the matter is resolved airports.”

The witness was present at the airport in Smolensk the morning of 10 April. According to him, there were then informed that the plane with the president has to land in Brańsk or Moscow, then, that “would do the test approaches.”

 

Then J. heard a bang, then “began to move at the airport.” At booth traffic control J. heard the words upset the Russian in fatigues, which had come down to that, “said the crew would not landed.”

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Personal indictment filed in 2014 – after the civil prosecutors dropped the investigation finally on the flight organization president and prime minister to Smolensk, which ran from 2010.

 

private accusers are close to a dozen victims – including Anna Walentynowicz, Janusz Kochanowski, Andrew Carrier, Wladyslaw Stasiak, Slawomir Skrzypek, and Zbigniew Wassermann. The hearings involved the prosecutor as “a spokesman for the rule of law.”

 

At the previous hearing, Thomas Arabic pleaded not guilty to the charges. The other accused are two officials of the Prime Minister – Monika B. and K. Miloslaw and two employees of the Polish embassy in Moscow – Justin Gregory G. and C. They face up to three years in prison.

 

Smolensk

 

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Smolensk

 

10 April 2010 near Smolensk killed 96 people, including President Lech Kaczynski, his spouse, many state officials and all the most important military commanders.

 

Polish investigation until the beginning of April this year led the Military District Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw. She put it charges two controllers flights from Smolensk (not yet been able to them to provide them) and two officers from the disbanded after the crash of 36. special transport aviation regiment.

 

April 4 investigation took over the State Prosecutor’s Office with a new team of investigators.

 

Our own investigation leads the Russian side that many times stressed that before the end of Poland returns the wreckage of Tu-154 and its “black boxes”.

PAP, kk