Minister hits back at helicopter allegations

By Charlie Charalambous

REPORTS that a National Guard helicopter has been grounded for almost two years because the government wanted save £20 on a spare part were challenged by the Finance Minister yesterday

According to Alithia newspaper, the helicopter has remained out of service because it needs a ball-bearing costing around £230.

Apparently the Defence Ministry has had its hands tied by the Finance Ministry over a simple purchase order because it was instructed to negotiate a discount price with the manufacturer.

Alithia states that the discount would be no more than £20 below the market price for ball-bearings.

The National Guard has blamed the delay on the red-tape entailed in such a procedure.

Alithia also claims that other National Guard weapons systems are suffering the same fate.

Finance Minister Christodoulos Christodoulou called the report unfounded, and denied his underlings were responsible for a bureaucratic bungle.

“I’m ready to reveal the truth publicly about this issue,” Christodoulou said, obviously piqued by the suggestion that he may be partly responsible for the fiasco.

He also denied that the helicopter had been grounded for two years, and said it had only been a “matter of months”.

“I don’t think it is at all right for the helicopter to be grounded for £230, but the Finance Ministry is not to blame.”

Christodoulou was quick to dispel rumours that the Defence Ministry had blown the whistle on him because of some unhealthy rivalry over military spending.

“There is no problem between the two ministries, but some unsubstantiated information was leaked to a newspaper.”

Procedures over weapons purchases have tightened since the government was rocked by a series of scandals involving claims that the army paid over the odds to secure hardware.

The finger was pointed at unscrupulous middle-men taking huge commissions to secure military orders.

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