Moscow - Russian Investigative Committee detective Mikhail Gurevich, who had looked into the crash of the plane of Polish President Lech Kaczynski, will investigate the Vnukovo air crash that killed French oil company Total CEO Christophe de Margerie, Kommersant wrote on Oct. 22.
“Special case investigator Mikhail Gurevich, who had held international inquiries before, was appointed as the head … of the investigative team of the Russian Investigative Committee,” it said.
The newspaper said Gurevich investigated the circumstances of the crash of the Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft of Polish President Lech Kaczynski near Smolensk.
In addition, flight safety inquiries had been launched by the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Federal Security Service and the Federal Protective Service. The Vnukovo airport, especially the Vnukovo-3 terminal, is frequently used by senior Russian officials and foreign delegations, the newspaper said.
On Oct. 20, at around 11:57 p.m. Moscow time, a Falcon 50 business jet bound for Paris collided with a snowplow, caught fire and crashed on the runway at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport. The crash killed three crew members and the passenger, Total CEO Christophe de Margerie.
A criminal inquiry has been launched on charges of ‘violating aircraft operating requirements resulting in the death of two or more persons.’
Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin told Interfax earlier that snowplow operator Vladimir Martynenkov had been detained and that investigators would insist on his arrest.
It is believed that the snowplow operator was in a state of alcohol intoxication, RIC spokesman Vladimir Markin said earlier.
Meanwhile, Interfax learnt earlier that the driver admitted having had a coffee with liquor prior to sitting down behind the wheel. Tests showed insignificant levels of alcohol in his blood.
Martynenkov’s lawyer Alexander Karabanov told Interfax that Martynenkov does not drink alcohol as he suffers from a chronic heart condition. “He was sober at the time of the accident,” the Karabanov noted. “We do not want an ordinary person to be made responsible for this accident,” he said.
