Egyptian investigators have referred the case of the crashed MetroJet Airbus A321 to the country’s attorney general after receiving a Russian analysis pointing to sabotage.
Investigation committee chief Ayman El-Moqadem says the inquiry received the analysis on 14 March.
He says it “suggests suspected criminal activity” in the destruction of the A321 over Sinai on 31 October last year, adding that the committee has “referred the matter” to the Egyptian attorney general.
While the probe has yet to reach a conclusion, several government officials have publicly pointed to the probability that an explosive device brought the aircraft down.
El-Moqadem says the airframe, at over 18 years, was relatively old and that the process of gathering its maintenance and technical records is “very time-consuming”. The inquiry is “still awaiting a number of documents”, he adds.
Wreckage and debris from the A321 have been transported to Cairo airport for analysis of the break-up sequence.
“It is planned that the wreckage will be laid out so that experts will be able to determine the type of fuselage disintegration that occurred before the [aircraft] crashed,” says El-Moqadem.
He says the technical investigation will continue but the committee is prepared to assist the attorney general if required.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
