Donald Tusk questioned in Polish inquiry into Smolensk plane crash
- 7 years ago
Donald Tusk’s name was chanted by supporters – some bearing EU flags – as he arrived for questioning in Poland over his handling of a plane crash that killed the former president.
The president of the European Council was the country’s prime minister at the time of the disaster in 2010.
Polish officials have been accused of negligence and several former ministers have been heard in the inquiry. The opposition have denounced the summons as politically-charged.
A small number of Tusk’s critics also turned out at the national prosecutor’s office in Warsaw, some with posters depicting Tusk in prison uniform.
Last year the state prosecutor’s office took over investigations – this inquiry is one of eight – into the crash seven years ago in Smolensk, western Russia, that killed 96 people including the then-President Lech Kaczynski.
His brother, the leader of Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party has accused Donald Tusk of “political responsibility”.
In parliament recently Jaroslaw Kaczynski called opposition figures crooks who had “destroyed” and “assassinated” his twin.
Tusk said the diatribe confirmed fears that Kaczynski wanted the justice system to answer to him.
Poland’s rulers – facing demonstrations at home and at loggerheads with the EU action over a judicial overhaul – have long challenged an official report into the crash.
But opponents say the probe into the previous government and Tusk himself is a political vendetta.
The president of the European Council was the country’s prime minister at the time of the disaster in 2010.
Polish officials have been accused of negligence and several former ministers have been heard in the inquiry. The opposition have denounced the summons as politically-charged.
A small number of Tusk’s critics also turned out at the national prosecutor’s office in Warsaw, some with posters depicting Tusk in prison uniform.
Last year the state prosecutor’s office took over investigations – this inquiry is one of eight – into the crash seven years ago in Smolensk, western Russia, that killed 96 people including the then-President Lech Kaczynski.
His brother, the leader of Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party has accused Donald Tusk of “political responsibility”.
In parliament recently Jaroslaw Kaczynski called opposition figures crooks who had “destroyed” and “assassinated” his twin.
Tusk said the diatribe confirmed fears that Kaczynski wanted the justice system to answer to him.
Poland’s rulers – facing demonstrations at home and at loggerheads with the EU action over a judicial overhaul – have long challenged an official report into the crash.
But opponents say the probe into the previous government and Tusk himself is a political vendetta.