LOC22:42
19:42 GMT
PARIS, Nov 22 (KUNA) -- The Legal Affairs Committee of the Council of
Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) declared here Thursday that the plane
crash which killed former Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski and eight
others in February 2004 was "most likely accidental".
In a statement, the Committee affirmed that despite this fact, there are
"worrying" inconsistencies which need further enquiry.
In this regard, the rapporteur Andreas Gross noted that there were
"possible indications of negligence on the side of the NATO-led stabilization
force SFOR, which could have prompted a cover-up, and pointed to quite
worrying questions such as the long time needed to find the wreckage and the
dysfunctional black box flight-recorder".
He added that "he had been struck by numerous inconsistencies and
contradictions in the official inquiry".
The official called for a "fresh investigation" by a Macedonian
parliamentary committee of inquiry, with PACE involvement "to open doors".
On the basis of Gross's findings, PACE indicated that its Bureau will
write to the head of the parliamentary delegation of "the former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia", proposing such an enquiry.
Trajkovski, who has died in an air crash aged 47, came to power in December
1999 and was regarded as the person "best able" to ensure stability in
Macedonia and who saved his country from a civil war. (end)
si.bz.
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