By Martin Banks - 7th December 2010
This is just another example of old-style Soviet disinformation and cover-up
Charles Tannock
MEPs have demanded an independent investigation into the Smolensk air disaster which killed Polish president Lech Kaczynski.
Some of the victims' relatives gathered in Brussels for a hearing, organised by the ECR group, into the accident in parliament on Tuesday.
The hearing comes eight months after the April 10 air crash in Smolensk, western Russia, which killed president Kaczynski and 95 other Poles as they landed for a World War II memorial ceremony.
These included the chief of the Polish general staff and other senior Polish military officers, the president of the National Bank of Poland, Poland's deputy foreign minister, Polish government officials and 12 members of the Polish parliament.
The probe has been carried out by Russia's Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK).
Speaking at the event, UK Tory MEP Geoffrey Van Orden said relatives had "many misgivings" about the way the accident investigation had been conducted.
He said, "There is, clearly, a lot of unease about this and what we have heard here today highlights the urgent need for an independent inquiry."
His comments were echoed by ECR colleague Charles Tannock who said, "A lot of the things done after the crash were wrong but should we be surprised? For me this is just another example of old-style Soviet disinformation and cover-up."
"Whenever there's an accident in Russia like this, the old-style Soviet system kicks in."
He said that while the matter was for the Russians and Poles, the EU had a role "in that we have EU citizens who are seeking to know what happened to their loves ones" in the accident.
Marta Kochanowska, who lives in London, lost her father Janusz, commissioner for civil rights protection in Poland, in the crash.
She told this website the accident inquiry should be referred to the European Aviation Safety Authority.
"We are very unhappy with various aspects of the investigation, including the refusal to return to us the belongings of our loved ones killed in the crash.
"There needs to be an inquest, similar to the ones they have in the UK, so that families and relatives like me can ask questions."
Polish MP Antoni Macierewicz, head of the parliamentarian team dealing with the crash, agreed, saying, "We are appealing to the Polish government to invite outside bodies like the EASA to intervene."
The meeting comes as Russia and Poland vowed on Monday to put history behind them as president Dmitry Medvedev made the first state visit by a Kremlin leader to Poland in nine years, amid thawing ties spurred by the air disaster.
"I see that the majority of Poles expect an improvement of Russian-Polish relations, and we cannot fail them," Medvedev said following talks with his Polish counterpart Bronislaw Komorowski.
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