After the death of Total CEO, the driver of the snowplow Russia believes to have been the cause of the plane crash is now in pre-trial detention. Vladimir Martynenko was driving a snowplow at the time of the crash. Russian authorities accuse him of being drunk at the time of the crash. The accident took place on Monday, at Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport.
Christophe de Margerie, the CEO of Total was killed, together with three other people after his plane hit the snowplow during takeoff and crashed. Vladimir Martynenko, the driver of the snowplow is not the only person arrested. Four other airport employees have also been arrested because of the crash. These other four people are Vladimir Ledenev, who was responsible for the snow-clearing operations; flights director Roman Dunayev, the airport’s chief air traffic controller, Alexander Kruglov and air traffic controller Svetlana Krivsun. A statement from the investigation committee reported: “Investigators believe the detained persons failed to provide safety requirements concerning flights and on-ground works and it led to the tragedy. They have been detained and questioned as suspects in the case.” Because of the recent incident, the airport director general Andrei Dyakov and Sergei Solntsev, the deputy director general have both resigned, according to a statement released by the airport on Thursday. The airport’s shift director, the leading engineer who is responsible for shifts and the head of the airport’s maintenance division have all been suspended.
Aleksandr Karabanov, Vladimir Martynenko’s lawyer declared on Thursday that his client was placed in detention and that his trial will soon follow. Karabanov said: “The judge explained her decision, saying that the court decided that Martynenko could escape, put pressure on trial participants or destroy the evidence”. He also said that there had been a doctor’s certificate with results of a preliminary medical examination. According to this medical examination, the snowplow driver had consumed alcohol and was drunk. Karabanov stated: “I found it’s ridiculous and it makes no sense. During that medical examination, Martynenko had a blood test that would show whether there was alcohol in his blood. It always takes only a day or two to get the results. Why are we still not given any?” The snowplow driver’s lawyer believes his client was sober during the incident. He said that the snowplow driver had passed a daily medical examination that all snowplow operators working at the airport must take before beginning work.