nazret.com

Lawyer cautions about Ethiopian Airlines crash reports

By Alula Kebede

VOA News

Washington, DC
12/03/2010

An attorney in Seattle sees Lebanese government statements about an incomplete investigation of the crash of Ethiopia Airlines Flight 409 in January as inappropriate.

“Until the final findings of the probe are known, it seems gross speculation for anyone to try to determine what may or may not have happened and to say what the cause of the crash may be,” said Lembhard Howell to VOA.

Howell, whose legal practice includes representing clients in the 1990s following the crash of an Indian Airlines flight, also said that any preparations to file a legal suit as a result of the Ethiopian Airlines crash in January are irresponsible.A Chicago law firm is representing relatives of 30 passengers from Lebanon who died in the Jan. 25 crash.

Howell also agrees with Ethiopian Airlines chief executive officer Girma Wake that preliminary reporting about an investigation that often takes more than a year to complete is inappropriate. Alula Kebede interviewed Howell for the Amharic service. (Click on the links to the side to listen to the report).