German airline Lufthansa could be facing corporate manslaughter charges over recent claims that one of the airline's psychiatrists had deemed suicidal co-pilot Andreas Lubitz fit to fly despite knowing he had been receiving treatment for depression, according to reports.
Lubitz, 27, is thought to have deliberately crashed the Lufthansa-owned Germanwings Airbus 320 in the French Alps on March 24, killing himself and all its 149 passengers and crew. Lubitz had reportedly suffered from depression prior to the plane crash.
German reports alleged that before the Germanwings plane crash, a Lufthansa psychiatrist had declared Lubitz fit to fly a commercial aircraft, according to British publication Express. This was despite the fact he had temporarily taken a break in his pilot training in 2009 due to mental health issues.
German state prosecutors reportedly have found evidence that the killer co-pilot had hidden a certain medical condition from his bosses, said the Telegraph.
In a press conference days following the disaster, Lufthansa Chief Executive Carsten Spohr said, "The co-pilot qualified as a pilot in 2008. He first worked as a steward and then became a first officer (pilot) in 2013." Spohr shared that Lubitz "took a several months break for reasons I do not know," but maintained that "he did the tests (technical and psychological) again. And he was deemed 100 per cent fit to fly."
Yet, German magazine Focus has claimed the flagship airline could face charges for allowing Lubitz to return to the cockpit, reported Mirror. While Andreas Lubitz had been deemed fit to fly by an independent specialist, documents cited that he had been advised to continue treatment after depression by Lufthansa doctors.
Express shared the same report, stating that prosecutors in Dusseldorf are now allegedly considering manslaughter charges over the Germanwings Airbus disaster. "Lufthansa gave the green light to Andreas Lubitz even though there were grounds for doubt," the publication quoted an insider as saying.
Lufthansa is yet to release an official statement on the matter. A company spokesperson said, "We cannot answer these questions in order not to prejudice the investigation of the prosecutor."
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