MOSCOW. Dec 29 (Interfax) - Four servicemen will stand trial on suspicion of stealing bank cards belonging to members of the Polish presidential delegation that died in an air crash near Smolensk in early April 2010.
"The initial inquiry into the criminal case of conscripts of military unit 06755 - privates Sergei Syrov, Igor Pustovar, Yuri Sankov and Artur Pankratov - is over. They are accused of conspiracy for theft and attempted theft," says a Russian Investigative Committee report obtained by Interfax on Saturday.
The Smolensk Garrison Military Court will hear the case, the report said.
"The preliminary inquiry established that a Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft carrying Polish politicians and public figures crashed near the Severny airport in the Smolensk region at approximately 11 a.m. on April 10, 2010. Conscripts of military unit 06755 Syrov, Pustovar, Sankov and Pankratov were assigned to cordon the crash scene," the report said.
Syrov found a bag and a wallet near the Tu-154 crash scene. He stole bank cards belonging to the deceased Secretary General of the Council for the Protection of Struggle and Martyrdom Sites Andrzej Przewoznik.
"There were sums equivalent to 379,000 rubles on the accounts of the stolen bank cards. Syrov also stole the bank card PIN codes written on a piece of paper," the report said.
Syrov shared information with Pustovar, Pankratov and Sankov upon their return to the military unit's location and suggested they take the money.
"The privates left the military unit premises without permission and tried to withdraw the money in Smolensk. Due to the withdrawal limit, they obtained only 59,000 rubles and spent the money," the Investigative Committee said.
The military investigative department of the Smolensk garrison division of the Russian Investigative Committee held the inquiry.