French officers of SFOR – important, yet forgotten link in the of the Trajkovski’s plane crash

According to Bosnian media, the new report on the crash of the “King Air” in which President Boris Trajkovski lost his life does not mention the responsibility of SFOR for the crash, which again raises the question whether the exclusion of the NATO military mission in Bosnia and Hercegovina from possible guilt is based on official statements of French officers who were responsible for air traffic control of Mostar Airport “Ortijesh” on that dreadful morning of 26th of February 2004.
Members of the French battalion of the international mission were spared from all liability in the report for the first investigation, and, according to information, probably in this report as well.
The information that appeared in the media after the accident indicated that after the crash of the “King Air”, two officers of the French SFOR contingent, who were on duty at the control tower, were recalled to France the very same day.
The spokesman for SFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina, David Sullivan, then immediately denied the information, calling it speculation and claiming that “they are here and they gave statements to the authorities”.
However, this was included in the report of MEP Andreas Gross, based on which, the Swiss socialist demanded a new investigation into the case of the crash of the “King Air” to highlight and resolve some controversial allegations at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in 2007.
– I have heard from several interlocutors that the competent French officer was sent home on the morning of 27th of February, which is very unusual given that the wreckage were still not officially found and cooperation of air traffic control is certainly necessary for the investigation of the causes the crash. The official report of the investigation mentions the impeccable professional qualifications of the competent controller, but it contains no indication that the controller was interviewed by investigators – reads the report of Gross which was submitted to the Council of Europe.