The Polish Prosecutor's Office has closed the case regarding the Smolensk crash
The Polish National Prosecutor’s Office has concluded its investigation into the so-called diplomatic treason case, which concerned the actions of officials during the investigation into the Smolensk crash.
The proceedings lasted about 10 years, but law enforcement authorities have decided to close the case permanently.
The case involved allegations of misconduct by Polish officials during the investigation into the 2010 plane crash that killed Polish President Lech Kaczyński and 95 others. The reasons for closing the case were not officially specified.
The investigation into the so-called diplomatic betrayal in connection with the Smolensk disaster lasted as long as 10 years. The National Prosecutor’s Office analyzed the actions of Polish authorities in April and May 2010, immediately following the tragedy that claimed the lives of 96 people, including President Lech Kaczyński and his wife.
A total of 488 witnesses were questioned during this 10-year investigation.
As Przemysław Nowak, a spokesperson for the National Prosecutor’s Office, emphasized during a press conference on Wednesday, investigators found no evidence of a crime.
“The investigation, which lasted 10 years, showed that the actions of the Polish authorities in April and May 2010 did not contain any signs of the crime of diplomatic treason,” Novak stated.
In March of this year, two rulings were issued to partially close the investigation. The decision to close the remaining five lines of inquiry now brings the entire process to a close.
Novak also noted that the main investigation into the crash, which began in 2010, is still ongoing at the General Prosecutor’s Office.
He recalled that in recent days, Investigative Group No. 1 of the National Prosecutor’s Office received a translation of the supplementary report by the International Group of Experts. As he noted, this comprehensive report “was intended to answer the question, in the broadest sense, of what caused the Smolensk disaster.”
Novak stated that, at this time, the prosecutor’s office is not disclosing the findings contained in the supplementary report. When asked when the additional findings of the international experts might be made public, the prosecutor’s office spokesperson replied that, in his opinion, “it is a matter of weeks.”
As is well known, on April 10, 2010, a Tu-154M aircraft crashed at the “Pivnichny” airport near Smolensk, killing 96 people, including President Lech Kaczyński and his wife Maria, senior military commanders, and the last president of the Republic of Poland in exile, Ryszard Kaczorowski.
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