Heads Roll in Russia as More Details Emerge of Total CEO Crash
MOSCOW -- Top Russian airport officials quit on Thursday as more employees were detained over the Moscow plane crash that killed the CEO of French oil giant Total (IW 1000/9).
The driver of the snowplow that collided with Total boss Christophe de Margerie's plane as it was taking off from Moscow's Vnukovo airport late Monday was also ordered to be held for two months behind bars for further questioning.
The new staff detained in the probe include a trainee air traffic controller who directed the doomed plane, her immediate supervisor and their boss and the head of the department responsible for clearing the runways.
"The investigation suggests that these people did not respect the norms of flight security and ground operations, which led to the tragedy," said the powerful Investigative Committee in charge of the probe.
Interfax news agency reported that he had admitted drinking coffee with a liqueur.
Martynenko, still wearing his work uniform, did not speak at Thursday's hearing.
But his lawyer Alexander Karabanov said afterwards that Martynenko "does not admit guilt, he admits his involvement."
By Anna Malpas
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2014
