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Outcry as ‘leaked report’ puts some blast responsibility on the dead
POLICE INVESTIGATING the Mari naval base blast have reportedly recommended nine people be prosecuted for manslaughter, including former defence minister Costas Papacostas, while leaving the door open for former foreign minister Marcos Kyprianou to be added.
Opposition parties yesterday demanded to know whether President Demetris Christofias had been considered for any of the crimes but had been left out due to his immunity. Some even suggested foul play, with DISY questioning whether the presidential palace unconstitutionally had access to the police report in advance and EVROKO hinting at a police cover up.
DIKO Vice-President Nicolas Papadopoulos said the suggestion that two of the 13 victims of the blast were also responsible for it was a “disgrace”.
Local daily Politis yesterday published alleged excerpts of the police report on the blast prepared by the criminal investigation department (CID) and delivered to Attorney-general (AG) Petros Clerides earlier this week.
According to Politis, the police recommend the prosecution of 12 people for committing one or more of six criminal offences, the most serious charge being manslaughter. The report also suggests looking into the possibility of charging Kyprianou with four criminal offences.
One paragraph in the leaked report is bound to stoke bitter feelings among the victims’ families as it also apportions blame on to the two naval officers killed on July11 along with 11 other sailors and firemen.
The paper writes that the report was prepared by head of CID at police HQ, Christakis Mavris.
Regarding the possible culpability of the former foreign minister, Kyprianou, Mavris “questions whether you can substantiate against him the crimes of manslaughter, causing death through negligence, other negligent acts causing bodily harm and neglect of duty”.
Regarding the deceased navy commander Captain Andreas Ioannides and naval base commander Lambros Lambrou, he says they too share responsibility for the blast, as they both “knew of the existence of the containers and their content and took no preventative measures to avoid the explosion and evacuate the naval base during the fire, but on the contrary, Ioannides asked to recall staff.”
On the charge of manslaughter, he recommends nine people be prosecuted, with Kyprianou a possible tenth. They are: Papacostas, former National Guard chief Petros Tsalikides, former NG deputy chief Savvas Argyrou, Colonel Georgios Georgiades (deputy commander of the third support brigade and former commander of the ordnance corps), Colonel Lambros Lambrou (current commander of the ordnance corps), Fire Service chief Andreas Nicolaou, Fire Service deputy chief Charalambos Charalambous, head of EMAK (Special Disaster Response Team) Andreas Loizides, Colonel Andreas Stavrou (Papacostas’ former head of staff).
On the charge of causing death due to an irresponsible, reckless or dangerous act: Papacostas, Tsalikides, Argyrou, G. Georgiades, Lambrou, Nicolaou, Charalambous, Loizides, Stavrou and possibly Kyprianou.
On the charge of negligent acts causing bodily harm: Papacostas, Tsalikides, Argyrou, G. Georgiades, Lambrou, Stavrou and Lieutenant Colonel Nicos Georgiades.
On the charge of other negligent acts causing bodily harm: Papacostas, Tsalikides, Argyrou, G. Georgiades, Lambrou, Nicolaou, Charalambous, Loizides, Stavrou, EMAK’s Kofinou stationmaster Christos Karacostas, N. Georgiades and possibly Kyprianou.
On the charge of neglect of official duty: Papacostas, Tsalikides, Argyrou, G. Georgiades, Lambrou, Nicolaou, Charalambous, Loizides, Karacostas, Stavrou, N. Georgiades, Defence Ministry permanent secretary Christos Malikides, and possibly Kyprianou.
On the charge of loss, destruction and damage of National Guard property due to negligence: Tsalikides, Argyrou, G. Georgiades, Lambrou, Stavrou, and N. Georgiades.
The final decision on who will actually be prosecuted and on what charges will be taken by the Attorney-general.
Police chief Michalis Papageorgiou yesterday tried to distance the force from suggestions the police were trying to protect Presidential Palace officials including the president.
He said police perform their duties “impartially and objectively”, appealing for the police to be kept out of any political expediencies.
“And let me remind you that the investigation of the case was under the supervision of the Attorney-general,” he added.
“We carefully avoided saying who and how many we propose to take to court, because the final word on who will be brought to justice rests with the AG. Because in no way did we want to stigmatise someone who the AG may later judge there is insufficient evidence to prosecute,” he said.
Asked who leaked the document, Papageorgiou indirectly confirmed the contents of the report, saying: “I’m not in a position to say who, but we did not give it.”
DIKO’s Papadopoulos said: “If this report stands, then we are entitled to conclude that such ‘leaks’ have one goal, to disorientate public opinion, and cover up the unbearable political responsibilities of the government.”
The deputy asked the police to explain why no reference was made to officials from the presidential palace.
“The Cypriot people should know if the president is considered a suspect for any crime regardless of whether his immunity protects him,” he said.
“Now we understand why AKEL and Mr Christofias were asking the last few days for us to wait for the police report. Some people have decided to shift the responsibility for the Mari tragedy off the shoulders of Mr Christofias and on to the backs of the dead navy officers,” said EVROKO spokesman Michalis Georgallas.
DISY member Socratis Hasikos highlighted the unconstitutionality of the police report seemingly being made known to the president.
AKEL spokesman Giorgos Loucaides responded that some people were already trying to throw the police report in the bin.
