THE HAGUE, March 7 — While the Netherlands is all set to put four people on trial this Monday over the downing of flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014, the Dutch Safety Board has once again reminded that the outcome of their investigations cannot be used as any form of evidence during the trial.
Member of the Board, Marjolein van Asselt said the board’s role is merely to see how they can learn and improve from such a crisis in the future by providing optimal recommendations only.
“We are not here for blame and liability. In Dutch’s situation, you cannot use the outcome of our investigation as evidence during the trial. That’s important to take note.
“Our work is done now. We are 'normal citizens' when the trial starts,” she told members of the Malaysian media here during a series of special meets and discussions in the run-up to the trial.
Asselt added that part of the investigations covered by the Dutch Safety Board included looking into the cause of the crash, flight routes, passenger information, and accountability.
“With our finding, we are here only to recommend, on what we can learn about flying over conflict zones and drawing lessons to prevent reoccurrence and focus on the issues of citizen safety.
“Like recommending to close a (particular) airspace during an active war zone ... it is expensive so more incentive is needed. But we will disclose it and hope they build on it,” she added.
The board will make recommendations to other countries, including International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and International Air Transport Association (IATA) on three levels, which are airspace management in conflict areas, risk assessment, and operator accountability.
When asked on what role she would play during Monday’s trial especially after dealing closely with the next of kin such as updating them on the investigation outcome, Asselt said: “On Monday, I will follow the case with interest as a commoner. I realise the trial won’t bring people back, it won’t change their feelings.”
“I also feel in some cases it may reopen old feelings and wounds. I will look at it with mix feelings and also look at it professionally at the same time,” she said.
Meanwhile, senior aviation investigator in charge, Gijsbert Vogelaar said Malaysia did a good job in obtaining the black box from the crash site during the early stages itself, which was very crucial to the board for their investigations.
“The Malaysian people did a very good job to get the recorder (black box). Eight to 10 countries went to the UK then to download the recordings,” he said.
Recalling the tedious process to decipher the recording, Vogelaar said a Malaysia airline pilot and several crew members were invited to listen to the recording to assist with investigations.
“We had another Malaysian pilot to listen as well because he knew the pilot.
“We even invited a crew from Malaysia airline.. It was very hard for them but they listened to it and helped us still,” he said.
He said it was important for the board to get an indication to facilitate their side of investigations so that they can make their recommendations, and the recovery of the black box was imperative.
“It's important to have the black box but that doesn’t mean you can do recommendation so easily. It is an important start for our investigations. The information disclosed from the black box, which is relevant, mattered to us,” he added.
Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was a key figure in brokering the deal to recover the black box and led the negotiation for the release of the remains of victims from separatist-held territory.
Najib, worked through intermediaries to reach rebel leader Alexander Borodai, the talks were kept under tight wraps, with Najib initiating the conversation and bringing only a handful of his closest confidants into the discussions.
The agreement was that Malaysia would receive the aircraft’s “black box” voice and flight data recorders, which were in rebel hands after being recovered from the crash site near the Russian border.
Flight MH17 traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was torn apart by a Russian-made missile over part of eastern Ukraine held by pro-Moscow rebels, spreading bodies and debris over a wide area.
A total of 283 passengers, including 80 children, and 15 crew members were on board. This most awaited trial is crucial for the families all around the world who lost loved one, Netherlanders lost 193 people of their own
