The company that failed to install anti-drone systems at five critical Republic infrastructures remains free to compete for public contracts, with police yet to refer the case to the Exclusion Committee eight months after terminating the deal.
The company is currently bidding for another public contract involving significant communications infrastructure, according to Phileleftheros investigations and official statements.
Police terminated the anti-drone contract in April 2025 following failures which are also detailed in an Audit Office report, but sources said there is no indication the force submitted the required report to the Exclusion Committee, which can bar companies from public tenders for up to three years.
The regulations in force when the contract was terminated required the contracting authority to inform the Exclusion Committee in writing after a tender’s final conclusion, submitting a report for potential exclusion from future procurement procedures.
Police spokesman Vyron Vyronos told Phileleftheros on Thursday that authorities had done what legislation provides and would take additional action if needed. When pressed on whether the required referral was made, he said Police informed the Treasury General when the contract was terminated in April and that the issue of a complaint to the Exclusion Committee is being discussed.
The Exclusion Committee was inactive from 10 July due to member resignations but has since been reconstituted. The Cabinet appointed a new committee on 29 October 2025, with former Senior District Judge Maro Larmou Papadima as chair and lawyers Avgi Kozakou and Petros Chatzisavvas as members.
Accountant General Andreas Antoniadis told a parliamentary Institutions Committee session on 22 October that the body had been inactive since 10 July. He explained that new incentives had been set, with the chair receiving €400 per decision and members €300.
The committee was active when Police terminated the contract in April. On 17 July 2024, it imposed a two-year horizontal exclusion on construction firm Lois Builders Ltd following a Larnaca Municipality request over contract violations relating to the New Municipal Market and Municipal Car Park.
The terminated contract was not listed in the Treasury General’s Registry of Terminated Contracts until Friday afternoon, despite the April termination.
Antoniadis said the contract was terminated before the new regulation on the Registry came into force but added authorities would assess whether to include it. The contract was added to the Registry by Sunday afternoon.
The issue engaged Police and the Treasury General after Phileleftheros findings, with both sides in contact on Friday to clarify the matter.
The Audit Office was informed on Friday about measures that should have been taken after the contract’s termination. Auditor General Andreas Papakonstantinou reportedly gave instructions to investigate this aspect.
An Audit Office report dated 2 December 2025 referenced omissions by the Police Department regarding the contract and issues concerning the contractor.
The report stated: “The contractor’s technical and professional capacity was not adequately documented. Critical elements – such as the country of execution of previous contracts, the actual operational adequacy of the manufacturer and the possibility of long-term support – were not fully verified. Discrepancies were also found between the submitted technical brochures and the manufacturer’s official publications”.