02. Feb. 2007

Vreme
Macedonia

Numerous suspicious elements
in the death of President Trajkovski

Andreas Gross,
initiator of an investigation in the Council of Europe

Andres Gross, member of the Swiss Parliament and former vice-president of the Parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe, has stirred up a storm with his decision to ask for an investigation for the 'King Air' case, the death of president Boris Trajkovski and his team in the mountains over Mostar in 2004. Gross says that there are many unclear matters in this case and names the suspicious behavior of then prime-minister, now president, Branko Crvenkovski.

Mr. Gross, what exactly is this initiative?

Last Thursday I've submitted to the Council of Europe a request to open an investigation about the plane crash which killed President trajkovski. The request is signed by 23 representatives of 20 countries, from all parties in the Assembly.

Who would conduct this investigation? How does this process go?

I expect that this request will be approved by April or May and I expect to be named rapporteur in this case and start my work in the summer of this year. I'm fairly confident that the Council will approve this investigation.

What led you to ask for this investigation?

I want to bring light to the darkness of this case. I have information from several sources about suspicious elements in the whole case regarding the death of president Trajkovski.

Are these Macedonian sources?

No, these are all sources from abroad. I don't have information from Macedonia.

What are they saying?

I have information from a person who was at the Mostar airport on the day and who actually saw the plane crash. He claims that SFOR stopped the local Bosnian authorities from searching for the wreckage for 24 hours. From a different place, I have information about witnesses from the villages near Mostar, close to the place where the plane crashed. They say that they have seen people coming out of the plane.

You mean there were survivors?

Witnesses saw people coming out of the plane hurt and burning, but they were alive.

What happened next? Were they killed or left to die?

This is an open question. The witnesses are afraid to speak of this, they are terrified. I hope that if there is a European investigation, it would encourage the witnesses to speak up.

You mention then prime-minister, now president, Branko Crvenkovski.

I have information that in Dublin, where Crvenkovski was at the time of the crash, he was quick to say that all the passengers have been killed, even before the plane was found. It's also suspicious how quickly was national mourning declared, before the fate of the passengers has been known.

What is the source of this observation about Crvenkovski?

It's a person from a third country, who was witness of this behaviour.

Have you spoken to Crvenkovski about this?

No, but I would very much like to.


Kontakt mit Andreas Gross