The Estonian chairman of the JAIC, Andi Meister, left the commission in June 96 after accusing the Swedes of censoring the video material from the ship, and also for not investigating who was at the bridge. He also said that the Swedish police were in charge of the video filming, and that they mostly were interested in finding a certain suitcase.
In the video material it is confirmed by the diving control that the police are in charge, though they instruct the divers to not brake in to any more cabins. This can be seen and heard in the video tape made by Rockwater 04-12-94 marked "tape no. 15". At index 0.25 to 0.35 when the divers investigate certain cabins checking for a suitcase the following can be heard:
Index 0.33, cabin no. 6134
-Diving control: OK John, after we have done this one the police don't want us to brake any more doors, we just try them or try corridors.
A little later they check a large cabin, 6230, where they find an attache case with a name tag. The name is read to be "VORANI...", but is noted in the video log as " ALEXANDER VORONLA" or "ALEXANDER VORANLA". After the diver has read the name for the diving control they answer, "OK, I'll just see if that name rings a bell up here".
It is also interesting to note, that in the supplements (503, 4.4.4) it is said regarding those cabins: "The cabins in this part of the vessel were intact and access was made to cabins 6118, 6124, 6130, 6132, 6134 and 6230. Almost all cabins in this area were locked though those accessed were all empty".
Yes, there were no victims in the cabins, but the cabins were not empty as in many other cases where a cabin have not been used.
Starting where the diver is at door 601, a door that only could be opened a little (body trapped behind it).
D=diver 1
D2=diver 2
DC=dive control 1
DC2=dive control 2
My comments in bold
D - There is a person behind the door.
DC - There are persons behind the door?
D - Person behind the door - right
DC - Roger
D - What to do now?
DC - OK, stand by
DC - OK, Ahh - 6134 which is the first cabin back from the companionway
that drops straight below you
D - OK, wait, I am trapped
DC - your trapped?
D - Hold on a minute - just try to get my hoses.....OK
DC - Clear?
D - Ye
DC - Roger that
D - OK, I have the companionway here - around cabin 6135
DC - 6135 - is it possible to open that door?
D - That's exactly what I'll try to do, I'll try to open it now!
DC - OK
D - It should be something behind it (the door is above the diver, opening
upwards)
DC - Ye, I would imagine...
D - No, to much weight behind the door
DC - OK, directly opp...no, well...not directly but back slightly the companionway
that you just came along 6134 is on the other side
D - 6134 - on the other side is it?
DC - First cabin past the companionway that is like a liftshaft below -
well it's not, it's a companionway when the ship was up right position...
D - OK, passing 6133....oh....no, that's not open
DC - OK roger - directly opposite you now should be 6134 now
D - Directly opposite me now....must be a liftshaft or something....eeh....
DC - No, there is only a cabin there....according to the drawing anyway
D - OK, I've got the cabin
DC - Lot of silt?
D - 6134....that's it?
DC - OK
D - Opening 6134 now....it's locked
DC - Locked?
D - Roger....not readable
DC - OK, can you try to brake in to those?
D - I've got to get my things down
DC - Roger that
The diver leave to get his tools
DC - OK John?
not readable, the diver move and get back with a spit
D - OK, back at 6134
DC - Roger that
The diver starts to try to brake through the door (time at tape 8.20),
working hard for 2 minutes, no success
D - No...this one, I can't get in to it, I should have a crowbar
DC - Would a big hammer be a help?
D - not readable
The diver try to kick the door open
DC - Can it come off from the hinge side?
D - That's what I am looking at now
The diver works hard for an other 3 minutes
D - Send me down an other crowbar, send me down an other crowbar...
DC - What...a crowbar?
D - Yea
DC - I think you just about lost them all, haven't you?
D - not readable
Diver continue to work
DC2 - Hello John, It's me again
D - not readable
DC2 - Fucking magnificent....
DC - Laughing
DC2 - OK, I believe you are trying to get in to 6134?
D - Correct
DC2 - OK brother
The diver continues to work hard, it's gone 6 minutes on this door
DC2 - I thought you were with the Royal Marines?
D - answer not readable
Everybody laughing
DC2 - John, just fucking smash it!
D - I've tried
DC2 - Vandalize it!
D - not readable
DC2 - We got to get the recond down, it may help, may not...
DC2 - Have you tried just smashing the lock handle of, John?
D - No, I didn't...not readable
DC2 - Maybe...try to go behind that silver plating...maybe? (door
handle plating)
D - Bob?
DC2 - Yes sir?
D - Are we gonna move the vessel five a stern?
DC2 - We want what?
D - Five a stern!
DC2 - Five a stern, yea
D - not readable...I can overcome in a couple of minutes
DC2 - Roger
The diver continues to work hard, it's gone 7 minutes on this door
DC2 - That's the vessel move five a stern
D - not readable, points at the door besides
DC2 - OK, John, you want to come to the one next door?
D - Yes...not readable
DC2 - 6132, that's going back out of the system really
DC2 - You should getting slack though you are going towards the opening
D - OK
DC2 - John, that crowbar coming down on the tugger
D - not readable...door
DC2 - These are the push cabins
D - I've never been into a push cabin
DC2 - Laughing
DC2 - You should be down to the tween deck, so much shouldn't you
D - not readable ...no, no, don't..
DC2 - You don't like tanks ups on the rocky....
DC2 - You have to move completely Jeff
DC2 - OK, that's it, when we got a minute we bring John to the mouth of
the window and they will get their problem their recond by
D - OK, thank you
DC2 - OK, if he just like to come out then so he can dash out if anything
goes wrong, and we let John go across and pick up the recond bar
D- Mmm
DC2 - OK, the second John, will you pop across to get the recond?
DC2 - We think it is about five meters above the hull, but...
D2 - not readable
DC2 - on the working tugger
DC2 - I guess this would have landed on the hull, John
D2 - not readable
D2 - not readable
DC2 - Light sticks on it
DC2 - Try the bell light off?
DC2 - It's closer to the bow than the ROV
D2 - Visual
DC2 - Got it visual?
DC2 - OK, it's coming down faster, full stop Aurtor
DC2 - Clear to the surface
DC2 - This is the last recond bar John, see if you could hang on to it ...for
a day
D - Talking of that, the other recond bar should be at 5329
DC2 - 5129
D - 5 3 2 9
Everyone laugh when D2 come with the recond bar, D enters the window
again from outside the hull
D - guide me through
DC2 - So which one are you trying first, 32?
D - not readable ...32
Diver back and continue to brake through 6132
D - Lovely....it's..in now (the crowbar)
DC2 - Good, anything to make life easy
D - It's open
DC2 - That's good, diver in 6132 (20 minutes after first attempt)
Diver enters cabin 6132
D - not readable...normal bedding
DC2 - Just normal bedding and general debris
D - Exactly...not readable ...but are not entry
DC2 - That's a roger, John
D - not readable
DC2 - a lot of suitcases there, isn't it?
D - A single one - you see my hand (diver show his hand in a mirror)
DC2 - Oh, there is a mirror there yea
D - This cabin...I have to try...exactly now...to check this thoroughly...
DC2 - OK, we check this one very thoroughly because of the...eee...suitcase
it could possibly have been occupants
D - OK roger
DC2 - ...Yea John, could you POSSIBLY check the suitcase, it MAY have a
name tag on.
D - OK...I...it appear to bee...I would say a female cabin
DC2 - Possibly a female cabin
The diver look around and pick up the suitcase
D - OK, it's open, and...I'm looking for a cargo or something...something
which will identify the case with me to this cabin
D - Eee...It concern to me attached that drawing he had
DC2 - (immediately) stand by.......NO.., PLEASE SAY NO! (upset)
D - OK, the case WAS open when I came in and...
DC2 - Yes, the case was open, we saw that
D - And nothing fell out when...not readable
DC2 - OK roger
DC2 - OK, we will have a good search in here John, underneath cushions and
everything
D - An anorak...not readable...in fact....account...not readable
DC2 - He is going to check the coat if there is a name tag on it (obviously
DC2 telling someone else)
D - Negative
DC2 - Negative, no name on the coat
D - No
DC2 - OK, John
D - I'll see if there is something behind the door that I've missed
DC2 - OK they...they are not really to concerned of the name now, John,
just have a good look around to confirm or deny
D - OK...not readable...cabin was occupied by a female...not readable
DC2 - OK, the cabin was occupied by a female, but there is no sign
D - OK, confirm 6132
DC2 - Confirm 6132
D - OK, I'm gonna pop out and do 6134
DC2 - Roger, roger
D - 6134
The diver speak about the panel in the sealing that has fallen down in
the companionway , then starting to brake into 6134
DC2 - OK, John, after we have done this
one the police don't want us to brake any more doors, we just try them or
try corridors.
D - I understand that! (as if he already knew it)
The diver continues to brake into 6134, speaking low to himself,
(hard to get in)
D - OK, open
DC2 - OK, cabin open
D - OK, going into 6134 now
DC2 - That's a roger, John
D - not readable...it's exactly by the door
DC2 - What said y, John
D - First coming... not readable...is exactly by the door (diver
is pointing at object at the wall)
DC2 - OK
D- Dropping down (the cabin is under the diver)
DC2 - Dropping down to the cabin
D - Exact
DC2 - Lot of lose bedding, debris floating as usual?
D - not readable
DC2 - Just bedding, tables, blanking that sort of stuff?
D - not readable...see upper...cant reach...no
DC2 - What about the toilet, John?
D - OK, Tell you what I'll do, I will get back to the door not readable...toilet
door ...not readable
DC2 - That's a roger
D - Just gonna pop out...
D - Opening the toilet door now - nothing there - looking inside, nothing
there
DC2 - Nothing in the toilet?
DC2 - OK, John, so we can say cabin 34 is clear
DC2 - OK, John, can you come out now, we want you to go to the stairwell
door please
D - I've done that!
DC2 - OK, we just want to see if you can open it inwards, according to our
drawings it would open both ways
DC2 - But, if you say no it's no
DC2 - OK, nice and slow, don't rush
Censored
Diver try to brake a door loose, discovers that the door is a double door
that opens one out, one in
D - That's interesting
Censored
Diver brake the door loose
DC2 - So we go down, John, be careful now cause that may have broken
down there.
D - The roofing is missing
DC2 - The roofing is missing in the cross companionway
D - not readable
The diver is reading and pointing at a sign over cabins in the corridor
DC2 - OK John, just in front of you there is possibly
cabin 6229, very large cabin
D - 6229, that would be forward
DC2 - That's forward yes, very large cabin four bunks and all that crap
D - OK
DC2 - If you can get in to it?
D - Handle went all way round
DC2 - Handle went all way round
DC2 - Slack the diver as he goes
DC2 - Next one coming down on that side would be 6230
D - 6230
DC2 - Again, facing forward very large cabin
Diver complain of headache, want to change
DC2 - Slack the diver
D - Big cabins
DC2 - Yes very big cabins
D - not readable...cabin 6230
DC2 - Very big cabins this, might take a while searching
DC2 tell the diver what the cabin look like, where the toilet is and
everything
D - Enters
Diver look around, find refrigerator, make joke of cold beer if any,
look around
D - I'll found an attache case here
DC2 - Attache case, any markings on it?
D - Eeee...yes, hold on here, jepp, we got a name....Alexander Vorin
DC2 - Alexander...
D - Alexander Vorin
DC2 - Can you spell it?
D - Victor, Oscar, Romeo, Alfa, November, November
They try to read the name tag several times and come to VORANI
D - OK
DC2 - And that's it?
D - I cant read it out
DC2 - OK, I'll just see if that name rings a bell up here...
D - Can I leave...not readable...sudently
DC2 - OK, it's a Russian name, Alexander Voran
D - Voranoly
DC2 - Yes
D - It possibly could belong to the man outside
Time 47 minutes on the tape
From this tape, in blue above, it is clear that they carefully were investigating the cabins for certain objects, among those suitcases. The first suitcase they found seem to be the one they were looking for. In red, it is clear that the police was in control of the investigation. They were only interested in some cabins, others they did not bother to brake in to. It is also known from survivors that a person during the last trip was having an attache case locked to his arm. This person dressed in a wine red suite was having the dinner together with the crew and he moved unrestricted among the crew. From information regarding other trips with the Estonia this man was seen aboard many times carrying the attache case.
Most interesting is that Alexander and Vassili Voronin both have stated that they together with Vassili's grandfather were staying in a luxury four bed cabin 6320. There is no such cabin. But there is a luxury four bed cabin No: 6230 where Alexander's attache case was found. However, there is a catch, this cabin was Captain Avo Piht's. Therefore I think it is clear that Avo Piht and Voronin had some business together, and that it was of such interest that the police had to investigate and find Voronin's attache case.