Russian officials confirmed on Tuesday that four soldiers have been detained and charged with stealing and using credit cards belonging to one of the victims of the fatal plane crash that killed the Polish president.
The Russian soldiers stole the cards while working at the crash site at the military airport near Smolensk, Russia.
The stolen credit card belonged to Andrezej Przewoznik, who headed Poland’s national war memorial committee. About $2,000 was withdrawn from the bank account, Polish officials said.
Monika Lewandowski, a spokeswoman for Warsaw public prosecutors office, stated that the first withdrawal from the credit card was made two hours after the crash.
On Sunday, Polish officials reported that several Russian security force soldiers who had secured the crash site had been detained. Russia at the time denied the statement and Poland apologized for the “mistake.”
According to Russian investigators, three of the four conscripts have prior records for crimes including forgery and theft. All four have admitted to stealing the cards.
In early June, the Polish government released the awaited transcript of the black box from the cockpit of the president’s plane that crashed on April 10, killing all 95 on board.
The transcript reveals that the pilots ignored repeated warnings from the plane’s automatic warning systems that it was on a dangerous collision course with the earth.
Poland’s delegation had been heading to Russia to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the mass execution of Polish elite during World War II in the Katyn forest near Smolensk city, 12 miles from the site of the tragedy.
The Russian soldiers stole the cards while working at the crash site at the military airport near Smolensk, Russia.
The stolen credit card belonged to Andrezej Przewoznik, who headed Poland’s national war memorial committee. About $2,000 was withdrawn from the bank account, Polish officials said.
Monika Lewandowski, a spokeswoman for Warsaw public prosecutors office, stated that the first withdrawal from the credit card was made two hours after the crash.
On Sunday, Polish officials reported that several Russian security force soldiers who had secured the crash site had been detained. Russia at the time denied the statement and Poland apologized for the “mistake.”
According to Russian investigators, three of the four conscripts have prior records for crimes including forgery and theft. All four have admitted to stealing the cards.
In early June, the Polish government released the awaited transcript of the black box from the cockpit of the president’s plane that crashed on April 10, killing all 95 on board.
The transcript reveals that the pilots ignored repeated warnings from the plane’s automatic warning systems that it was on a dangerous collision course with the earth.
Poland’s delegation had been heading to Russia to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the mass execution of Polish elite during World War II in the Katyn forest near Smolensk city, 12 miles from the site of the tragedy.
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