A spokesperson at Poland’s Military Intelligence Service refused to deny or confirm to Polish Radio if a body found in the Wistula River in Warsaw was that of missing signals officer Stefan Zielonka.
The local TVN Warszawa reported Tuesday night that documents had been found on the corpse of a man identifying him as Zielonka, who had gone missing in April last year.
He was reported to have been depressed and even suicidal. He also had accumulated a large sum in his bank account and had taken some clothes with him. Zielonka also had access to top secret information.
Last month, the Military Prosecutor in Warsaw charged the man with desertion.
Witnesses say two men found the body at around midday, Tuesday, and informed police. Bank statements found in possession of what was the lower half of a corpse were that of Stefan Zielonka.
Police have told the DGP daily, however, that the state of the well-preserved documents does not match with the advanced stage of decay of the corpse.
Chief military prosecutor Col. Krzysztof Parulski said the body has initially been identified as Zielonka, though this can only be assured after a careful investigation which “will take two days,” he said.
In December last year, media reported that sources within the intelligence services said that the 52 year-old communications specialist had defected to the Chinese secret services.
On Monday a French intelligence web site claimed that Zielonka was living near Shanghai, where a ‘new life’ had been organised for him. (pg)