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The Polish ambassador to New Zealand says the New Zealander facing prosecution over the deadly collapse of a Polish event centre last month will get a fair trial.
Bruce Robinson and two other men are expected to be charged over the collapse of the trade fair centre in the city of Katowice. The metal roof of the football pitch sized hall collapsed without warning on January 28 during an international racing pigeon show.
Prosecutors have been investigating if human error or neglect led to the collapse, which authorities blame on the weight of snow piled on the rooftop and possibly other factors.
Robinson is the managing director of MTK, which ran the centre. He and two other executives are likely to face charges of unintentionally causing the collapse.
"Police have detained three individuals, including two management board members and the technical director of the MTK," Poland's Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro told a news conference after a cabinet meeting.
"They have been interviewed, cars and houses have been searched. One, a foreigner, was detained in Warsaw and is being taken to Katowice for questioning...prosecutors intend to present charges to these three individuals," he said.
MTK has said it regularly cleared the roof of snow and that it was co-operating fully in the investigation.
A spokesperson for the company, Agarta Markovska, says that Robinson has been co-operating with the prosecutor and his sudden detention is a surprise. She says Robinson has not been arrested but is simply being questioned.
Poland's ambassador to New Zealand, Lech Mastalerz says that in Poland the public prosecutor gathers evidence of a crime with the courts granting leave for prosecutions to proceed. He says it is possible Robinson could qualify for bail if and when charges are laid.
Mastalerz says Polish law conforms with European Union and International Justice obligations.
The New Zealand embassy in Poland says they are closely monitoring the situation.
The embassy's First Secretary Consul, Mike Grace, says the embassy will try to ensure Robinson is in contact with his lawyer and the embassy is working to ensure his rights are respected.
Charges are expected to be laid Thursday afternoon, New Zealand time.
