An airport official at the center of investigations into the deadly LaMia crash which killed 71 has fled the country and is seeking asylum in Brazil.
Celia Castedo, who worked at Bolivian airport authority Aasana says she is being persecuted by aviation authorities, a spokesman for Brazil’s federal police said.
She was accused of ‘failing to carry out her duties as a public official’ the Wall St Journal reports.
Authorities say Castedo failed to stop LaMia flight 2933 from leaving Santa Cruz in Bolivia after it skipped refueling.
The plane then crashed after running out of fuel shortly before it was due to land at Medellin, Colombia.
The crash killed almost all of the Brazilian pro soccer team Chapecoense.
Castedo told Brazilian police she had brought to light issues with the plane’s flight plan before it took off and requested the plan to be revised.
She was given emporary asylum while the Justice Ministry assesses her case.
The Aasana employees’ union is backing Castedo who it says is being made a scapegoat.
Meanwhile the head of LaMia airline Gustavo Vargas has been arrested and could face charges of manslaughter.
