Gun fired on board plane carrying Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš

A member of police security reportedly fired an accidental shot on board an aircraft carrying Andrej Babiš in Brussels.

Jason Pirodsky

Written by Jason Pirodsky Published on 29.05.2019 15:53:25 (updated on 29.05.2019) Reading time: 1 minute

A gun was reportedly fired aboard an aircraft carrying Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš on Tuesday, May 28, Česká televize has reported.

The gun was apparently fired by a member of the police security team accompanying Babiš on board the flight while the plane was taxied at Brussels Airport. Babiš was returning to the Czech Republic following an informal meeting of heads of state.

No injuries were reported following the incident.

Strict regulations dictate that that security personnel guns must be relinquished to the flight captain and kept in the cockpit for the duration of all flights. At the same time, security must prove that the weapon is not loaded and cannot be fired.

According to iDnes.cz, the gun was was accidentally fired by a member of the security detail during the turnover process who mistakenly had a bullet in the chamber of the gun.

The pilot of the aircraft refused to take off until the bullet was retrieved and the plane inspected for damages. The bullet was ultimately located in a dining cart, and no damage was found to the plane, which took off after an hour delay.

The case is currently being dealt with by the Czech General Inspection of Security Forces (GIBS), an independent agency tasked with investigating crimes involving members of state organizations.

“We will collect all the necessary information,” GIBS spokesperson Ivana Nguyen told iDnes.cz

“So far we know that it is most likely an accidental shot from a service weapon.”

On Wednesday, Babiš attended a security fair in Brno that involved the presentation of military weaponry. On his official Facebook page, the Prime Minister posted a photo of himself looking down the barrel of a rifle.

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