Smolensk Investigation Intensifies
Staff journalist | 20th July 2010

Russians extend investigation, Poles form new investigative committee

As new fragments of conversation of the cabin recordings from the doomed Tu-154 plane surface, the timeframe for conclusive findings has been pushed back again. In Krakow, the Institute of Forensic Research, which deciphered the latest recordings, has stated that their investigation should conclude "by the end of September, or early October at the latest," according to spokesman Mateusz Martyniuk, at which point the findings will be released to the public.

Meanwhile, the Polish government has asked for files and post mortem reports for the victims of the 10 April crash, which include the late President Lech Kaczyński, his wife, and 94 others. Polish Justice Minister Krzysztof Kwiatkowski met with his Russian counterpart during his visit over the weekend. However, Russian Justice Minister Alexander Konovalov told Minister Kwiatkowski that the Russian investigation will also be extended, until October, but the Polish investigative team is to receive more files related to the crash inquiry over the next few weeks.

In the meantime, Polish politician Antoni Macierewicz has formed a separate investigative committee in the Parliament to look into the Smolensk crash. The Law and Justice (PiS) politician told reporters, "We're examining all the hypotheses, notably that of a terrorist attack".

See also: New Controversy in Smolensk Crash Investigation

Photo: The coffin of President Lech Kaczyński / photo courtesy prezydent.pl

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