A Lagos State Coroner on Wednesday refused to compel the Accident Investigation Bureau to produce some documents relating to the Dana Air plane, which crashed on June 3, 2012.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that 153 passengers and some residents of Iju-Ishaga area of Lagos State, where the crash occurred, lost their lives to the incident.
The Coroner, Oyetade Komolafe, rejected the request made by the Lagos State Government through its counsel, Akinjide Bakare.
Bakare had prayed the coroner to compel the AIB to produce the duty roster of the pilots who operated the ill-fated flight and their type-rating.
NAN reports that the pilots died in the crash.
Bakare also requested for the technical log book of the crashed MD-83 plane.
He said that the documents were required for further cross-examination of the airline’s Director of Flight Operations, Captain Oscar Wilson.
Wilson had told the inquest that the AIB impounded all documents relating to the crashed plane on the day of the incident.
“All documents relating to the aircraft are in the custody of the AIB,” he testified on Wednesday.
AIB’s counsel, Babatunde Irukera, had objected to the release of the documents, saying that they were being used for investigation on the cause of the crash.
Irukera said that release of the documents would compromise the investigation.
He added that producing the documents in court would discourage international organisations, including the manufacturer of the crashed aircraft, from cooperating with Nigeria in investigating air accidents in the future.
Irukera said: “AIB is compelled by law – both local and international – to make all documents relating to the aircraft confidential.
“As much as we have a responsibility to this court, we cannot destroy our reputation with other international organisations we are working with in the ongoing investigation.”
Yemi Okunade, a lawyer with the Falana and Falana Chambers, expressed dissatisfaction with alleged AIB’s delay in completing its investigation into the crash.
Falana and Falana Chambers is an interested party in the inquest, which has been adjourned till July 3, for cross-examination of the Lagos State Chief Medical Examiner, Prof. John Obafunwa.
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