Police launch probe into soldier’s suicide

POLICE have launched an investigation into last month’s suicide of National Guardsman Charalambos Apostolides, after fresh claims that he was systematically abused in his barracks.

The action was taken after Apostolides’ father, Zacharias, sent a letter to the Justice and Defence Ministers requesting a serious, impartial and in-depth investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of his son.

Charalambos shot himself with a service rifle while on guard duty on December 14 at an army camp in the Nicosia district. Two previous investigations by the National Guard concluded that the suicide was love-related.

However, Zacharias claims his son and other soldiers in the unit were systematically subjected to unacceptably rough treatment. The father sent a letter through his lawyer, Efstathios Efstathiou, claiming that his son and others were repeatedly made to undress so those in charge could check for signs of drug abuse. When they couldn’t find any signs of drug use they would allegedly check their bodies for signs that the soldiers were Satanists.

The father also claims his son was often called “the junkie” by those in charge of the unit. When he asked on a number of occasions to see a psychologist, his demands were not met, alleges Zacharias.

State radio announced yesterday that Nicosia CID had launched an investigation into the circumstances of his death after the charges were made. But Defence Minister, Kyriacos Mavronicolas told the station that he visited the army unit in question in Mathiatis yesterday morning, and from first impressions after talking to soldiers, there didn’t seem to be any evidence of guilt against any officer. He added that the Chief of the National Guard had visited the camp on various occasions and had made similar conclusions.

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