32-year-old Sebastian M. is suspected of causing a tragic accident on the A1, which killed a family of three, including a five-year-old child. The man was arrested after a few weeks in the United Arab Emirates. His defense attorney claims that it was not an escape and asked the court to issue a so-called safe-conduct for his client. Decision on Monday.
On Monday, the District Court in Piotrków Trybunalski (Łódź Voivodeship) is to make a decision regarding the letter of safe conduct for Sebastian M., suspected of causing a fatal accident on the A1. The prosecutor’s office is against issuing the document requested by the suspect’s lawyer.
The defense wants the suspect to answer freely
According to the legal definition, a safe conduct is a special document allowing the accused to remain free until the final conclusion of the criminal procedure. The accused who has a safe conduct undertakes to answer in the trial under the so-called free foot.
According to the suspect’s defense attorney, Bartosz Tiutiunik, the hearing in this case in the Piotrków court is scheduled to start on Monday at 12.
“He didn’t escape from Poland, he just stayed abroad”
The defense attorney applied for a safe conduct for his client on October 4 this year. On the same day, in the United Arab Emirates, Polish services, in cooperation with the local police, detained Sebastian M.
As the lawyer explained in a statement issued at that time, his client did not escape from Poland, but was abroad when he learned – through the media – that he would be charged. He argued that as long as his client is abroad, issuing a safe-conduct is possible and there are no obstacles to proceeding with it.
– Sebastian M. is abroad. Therefore, the basic formal condition for considering the possibility of granting him a safe-conduct is met. If we are looking for an answer to the question when my client can appear in Poland as soon as possible, my answer is this: when he receives a safe-conduct, it can significantly shorten the extradition proceedings – said Tiutiunik in an interview with RMF FM.
The suspect refused to submit to extradition
Magdalena Czołnowska-Musioł, spokeswoman for the District Prosecutor’s Office in Piotrków Trybunalski, said that those conducting the proceedings are against issuing a safe-conduct to Sebastian M.
The suspect is currently in custody in UAE. On October 4, Minister of Justice and Prosecutor General Zbigniew Ziobro signed the request for his extradition. The related procedure is ongoing in the UAE and the decision on this matter must be made by the local court.
Sebastian M. allegedly refused to submit to extradition, giving three reasons: social hate related to him, personal involvement Zbigniew Ziobro in the case, as well as “subordinating the courts to the political factor.”
Accident message, no information about BMW’s involvement
The tragic accident on the A1 motorway in Sierosław in Piotrków County occurred after 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 16. Parents and their five-year-old son died in a fire in a Kia car. Immediately after the accident, firefighters reported that “two passenger cars collided.” On September 18, the Piotrkówka police issued a statement in which it was written that “the driver of the Kia hit the energy-absorbing barriers for unexplained reasons, then the car caught fire.” There was no information that a BMW was also involved in the accident.
On September 24, another statement from the Piotrków police wrote that the accident “involved a Kia and a BMW.” “The police secured a number of traces and interviewed witnesses. We also obtained a number of camera recordings, which we hope will help explain what was the cause of this huge tragedy. The subject of this investigation is also to clarify whether the behavior of the BMW driver had a direct impact on the occurrence of the incident in question.”
An arrest warrant was issued for the BMW driver, and Sebastian M.’s image was revealed. The District Prosecutor’s Office in Piotrków Trybunalski accused him of causing a fatal accident, which is punishable by up to 8 years in prison. The family’s representative submitted to the prosecutor’s office a request to change the qualification of the act to murder with possible intent, punishable by a higher penalty.
Main photo source: KP PSP in Piotrków Trybunalski