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Charges pressed against one of the suspects behind Total CEO’s jet crash in Moscow

According to Russian Investigative Committee spokesman, trainee air traffic controller Svetlana Krivsun was charged with the violation of safety regulations that led to the death of people

MOSCOW, October 29. /TASS/. The Russian Investigative Committee pressed official charges against one of the suspects behind the tragic crash of a private jet in the Moscow’s capital last week, Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for the committee, said on Wednesday.

During the takeoff at Moscow airport Vnukovo on October 20 at 23:57 local time (19:57 GMT), the four-seat Dassault Falcon business jet, en route to Paris, collided with a snowplow, caught fire and fell onto the runway. Among the four people killed in the crash are two pilots, a flight attendant and French oil giant Total CEO Christophe de Margerie. All killed in the crash were French nationals.

Markin said that trainee air traffic controller Svetlana Krivsun was charged with the violation of safety regulations that led to the death of people. If found guilty, Krivsun faces up to seven years in prison.

Last Friday the Basmanny Court of Moscow ordered house arrest for Krivsun. Under the ruling she is not allowed to leave or change her place of residence, receive or send correspondence and use any communication systems, including the phone or the Internet, except for making emergency calls and talking to investigators.

Suspects in the case of Total CEO's jet crash

The four suspects in the case are chief engineer of the airport’s service Vladimir Ledenev, who was in charge of snow-clearing works at the time of the incident, flights director Roman Dunayev, trainee air traffic controller Krivsun and airport’s chief air traffic controller Alexander Kruglov, who was in charge of the air traffic at the time of the tragic crash.

Vnukovo airport chief executive Andrey Dyakov and deputy Sergey Solntsev have resigned since the disaster.

Following the incident snowplow operator Vladimir Martynenko was detained for the period of 48 hours, which expire on Thursday, but the court ruled to extend his custody term on the same day.

Martynenko, who emerged unhurt from the incident, was reportedly under alcoholic influence, while he himself acknowledged that he had a cup of coffee with cognac in it before his shift.

De Margerie, 63, came to Russia to attend a Russian government meeting on foreign investment in Gorki, near Moscow, on Monday. Total has been conducting active business activities in Russia and is involved in a major Yamal LNG project.