Cyprus is still waiting to find out where explosives went missing during a National Guard training exercise, with police investigations ongoing and internal disciplinary proceedings concluded, Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas said on Thursday.
Palmas said he hoped the police inquiry would produce results in the coming period. “The police continue their investigations and we hope that in the next period we will have a development on where the explosives are,” he said.
The internal National Guard investigation has been completed, he said, and the National Guard Chief would “unfortunately impose penalties on personnel who did not do their job properly during the training exercise.”
Asked about those who had given statements and about who bears responsibility, Palmas declined to elaborate.
“I do not want to go into details. These are matters concerning the internal process and anything said at the level of details could harm the depositions process and the findings,” he said, adding that “a fairly large number of people have given statements.”
Asked directly whether the explosives were now outside National Guard control, Palmas confirmed that all possibilities remain open.
“Yes, from the moment they have been lost, all scenarios are open,” he said, adding that they were waiting for the police investigation to provide “light at the end of the tunnel” on locating the explosives.
(information from CNA)