In a shocking revelation featured in the latest episode of the documentary series “Reset,” it has been exposed that Russian officials attempted to corrupt Professor Wiesław Binienda, a renowned expert who has been tirelessly investigating the Smolensk air disaster for years. The Russians made a brazen offer of one million dollars to the respected scientist in an apparent bid to influence his research. Professor Binienda, however, stood firm against the temptation, emphasizing the importance of maintaining trust and integrity in scientific endeavors.
The most recent installment of the “Reset” series delves into the Smolensk tragedy, offering a comprehensive examination of the events surrounding the catastrophic incident that occurred on April 10, 2010. The episode features an interview with Professor Wiesław Binienda, who has played an instrumental role in unraveling the mysteries of that fateful day.
During the interview, Professor Binienda recounted a troubling incident from the past when Russian authorities sought to manipulate his research by offering him a substantial grant of one million dollars. He revealed that a colleague had informed him of a group from Russia expressing their interest in visiting his laboratory. However, he astutely diverted their attention by suggesting they visit another colleague’s laboratory in Dayton, Ohio, which was much closer. This decision would later prove pivotal.
“When he took them to the Dayton laboratory, apparently, he received some reprimand there because he called me,” Professor Binienda recounted. His colleague informed him, “They are furious that I took them to Dayton instead of Akron. They have a million dollars, a grant for you, and you’re a professor, and such a grant is very much needed by every professor.”
When asked whether he believed this was an attempt to corrupt him, Professor Binienda unequivocally affirmed, “Yes, I am convinced.”
He went on to explain that even if it had been an official grant, it would undoubtedly have been used to cast doubt on his integrity. “They would have said, ‘Look, for a million dollars, Professor Binienda is doing ‘XYZ’ work for us.’ That would have been enough to erode the trust of those who collaborate with me. It is a form of corruption, absolutely,” he emphasized.
In addition to this startling revelation, Professor Binienda was questioned about Russia’s consistent refusal to return the wreckage of the Tupolev plane that crashed on April 10, 2010.
“From their perspective, it is evident that they cannot allow us to have access to the wreckage. At that time, they did not want to accept that it was an act of terrorism. They continued to extend this with their agents in Poland and around the world to suppress this information, to make individuals like me lose their credibility,” the scientist explained.
Professor Wiesław Binienda also shed light on the reluctance of Polish scientists to engage in similar investigations during the previous government’s tenure. While Polish scientists praised him for his research findings regarding the Smolensk tragedy under the previous government, they cited familial and job security concerns as reasons for not undertaking similar inquiries themselves.