Investigators from the headquarters of the Cyprus Police have carried out a raid at the Department of Road Transport, seizing computers, documents and other evidence as part of the ongoing criminal investigation into the Takata airbag scandal.
The probe concerns fatal incidents linked to defective airbags, including the deaths of 24-year-old Kyriakos Oxinos on 24 January 2023 in Nicosia and 19-year-old Styliani Giorgalli on 21 October 2024 on the Avgorou–Frenaros road.
The investigative team is examining, among other offences, the possibility of manslaughter, focusing on alleged criminal negligence by state services.
The investigation has been ongoing since the fatal incidents occurred, while the findings of an independent inquiry committee, published last July, significantly broadened both the scope of the investigation and the list of potential suspects.
Focus on former officials
Investigators are examining the role of two former directors of the Department of Road Transport, following recommendations by the inquiry committee that they be subject to criminal investigation.
These are Sotiris Kolettas, who served as director from 2006 to 2019, and Giannis Nicolaides, who succeeded him and remained in the post until June 2023 before being promoted to a senior position in the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare.
According to the committee’s findings, both men may bear criminal responsibility for omissions during their tenure.
The report states that although they knew or ought to have known about the dangers posed by Takata airbags, they took no substantive action to protect public safety.
Instead, their actions were limited to forwarding updated owner data to authorised distributors of new vehicles, mainly concerning vehicles with European type approval.
A key circular issued on 21 March 2017 is central to the investigation. It left unregulated the issue of recalls for vehicles imported as used from third countries, particularly from Japan and Singapore.
Failures and warnings
The inquiry found that a flawed and potentially dangerous approach developed within the department, whereby responsibility for recalls was considered to lie solely with manufacturers.
At the same time, authorities had received repeated warnings about the risks associated with Takata airbags, including notifications from the Consumer Protection Service as early as 2013, as well as letters from citizens in 2015 and 2016.
Despite this, the report concludes that both officials demonstrated inexcusable inaction and failed to assess the risks or inform the public.
Former minister under scrutiny
The inquiry committee has also recommended that former transport minister Marios Demetriades and former ministry permanent secretary Alekos Michaelides be investigated to determine whether they had any involvement in, or knowledge of, the 2017 circular.
The circular, sent by the Department of Road Transport to the association of vehicle importers, effectively exempted distributors of new vehicles from the obligation to notify owners of recalls for vehicles imported as used from third countries.
However, it did not clarify who bore responsibility for recalls in such cases, creating a regulatory gap affecting tens of thousands of vehicles.
As a result, thousands of imported used vehicles fitted with defective Takata airbags remained on Cypriot roads for years without owners being aware of the risks.
Disputed claims
Alekos Michaelides has publicly stated that the circular was never communicated to the Ministry of Transport, adding that it could not be found in the ministry’s records.
He questioned how he could have had knowledge of a matter that was never formally brought to his attention.
Marios Demetriades has also rejected the findings, stating that during his tenure he had no involvement in the drafting of the circular and issued no instructions related to it.
Investigators have now obtained all relevant documents as part of the probe, with further developments expected as the criminal investigation progresses.