After initially placing full responsibility on the 70 Engineer Battalion for the wildfire at the Kalo Chorio firing range in Larnaca, Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas now says he will await the completion of the criminal investigation before responsibility is assigned.
The comments he made on 27 July are difficult to reconcile with his latest position, as he moved quickly that day to attribute blame and even identify those he considered responsible for the fire.
In effect, he appeared to prejudge the outcome of an investigation before it had begun.
It is recalled that on 27 July, in a strongly worded statement, Palmas said:
"Responsibility has a name and a surname, and responsibility for the outbreak of this fire lies with the 70 Engineer Battalion."
Awaiting criminal investigation
On Thursday, after receiving the report prepared by the National Guard General Staff (GEEF), the minister adopted a different position, stating that responsibility would be determined following the completion of the criminal investigation.
In a written statement, he said:
"I received from the Chief of the National Guard, Lieutenant General Emmanouil Theodorou, the findings of the disciplinary investigation conducted by the National Guard to establish the circumstances and causes of the fire at the Kalo Chorio firing range on 27 July 2026. At this stage, I will limit myself to a thorough study of the findings and will not make any further comment, as the criminal investigation of the case by the Cyprus Police remains ongoing."
Respect for the investigative process
In the same statement, Palmas added:
"Respect for the process, as well as the need to safeguard the integrity of the criminal investigation, does not allow for public statements on matters that are the subject of the investigation. Upon completion of the criminal investigation and assessment of all the data, where responsibilities arise they will be assigned in accordance with the law."
He also noted that the police investigation report is expected to be submitted to the Law Office of the Republic within the coming week.
The criminal investigation is being conducted by Aradippou Police Station.
Questions remain over initial accusations
The key question arising from the minister's original comments is on the basis of what information, and from whom, he concluded that full responsibility rested with the 70 Engineer Battalion.
According to information obtained by Politis, a member of the National Guard leadership was also present at the firing range observation post on the day of the incident.
Questions also arise as to why the minister's initial comments made no reference to the relevant National Guard departments that organised the training exercise conducted jointly with US personnel on that day.
