To lose one anti-tank mine may be regarded as a grave misfortune, but to lose 240 – and then have them turn up near an Ikea warehouse – has been deemed a serious dereliction of duty by a district prosecutor in western Poland.
An army general has reportedly been sacked and four soldiers face prison sentences of up to five years following the blunder, which occurred last summer when a cargo of mines bound for an ammunition depot in the northern village of Mosty was not fully offloaded on arrival.
The mines were transported by rail from Hajnowka, on Poland’s eastern border between July 4-7 last year.
According to reports in the Polish media, the dismissal of Major General Artur Kępczyński, head of the Armed Forces Support Inspectorate, was related to the incident.
While the defence ministry did not offer an explanation for Maj Gen Kępczyński’s dismissal, it is understood his duties included oversight of the logistics support system.
‘I believe that more could have been done, which is why the final decision concerned the head of the inspectorate,’ said Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, the Polish defence minister.
Lukasz Wawrzyniak, a spokesman for the District Prosecutor’s Office in Poznan, told Reuters that the soldiers also faced potentially serious consequences after the dangerous cargo was discovered in a rail siding near a furniture store warehouse on July 16.
‘The suspects are four soldiers, the case concerns neglect of duty regarding the unloading of a transport of munitions,’ said Mr Wawrzyniak. ‘[They face] up to 5 years of imprisonment.
‘None of the suspects have pleaded guilty.’
Major General Artur Kępczyński, head of the Armed Forces Support Inspectorate, was dismissed by the defence ministry on Thursday. The reasons were not given
Reports in the Polish media suggest Maj Gen Kępczyński was deemed responsible for the temporary loss of 240 anti-tank mines which eventually turned up near an Ikea store
The anti-tank mines, similar to the one shown here, were discovered in a secure state, said a spokesman for the District Prosecutor’s Office in Poznan
Malgorzata Dobies-Turulska, the chief executive of Ikea Industry Poland, said the army picked up the explosives from one of the wagons that arrived at a warehouse belonging to Ikea Industry Orla.
‘The box was collected by the military police on the same day,’ she said. ‘Cooperation with the military police went very smoothly.’
Mr Wawrzyniak confirmed that the army found the mines in a secure state.
‘All the elements were sealed and they were immediately secured by the army,’ he said.
Mr Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed in a radio interview that the incident was handled in accordance with the necessary security protocols.
‘Civilian supervision played a key role in this matter,’ he told the commercial radio station RMF. ‘Security procedures, explanatory procedures, corrective actions related to preparation, training, sending appropriate inspections and drawing personnel conclusions.’
Polish media reported that Maj Gen Kępczyński’s was prompted by an initial failure to report the incident.
Those responsible for the lost equipment allegedly falsified documents, with the number of mines in the warehouse reported as correct and the truth only coming to light when the lost equipment was found.
The Polish army press office did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
