POLITICIANS yesterday called for a full investigation into the state of the National Guard following Saturday’s plane crash over Kolossi, which killed the two military pilots on board.
Officials from the rival parties of DIKO and DISY have been saying a disciplinary investigation should be launched against the National Guard, with the latter saying a separate investigative committee be assembled for a more in-depth investigation into what actually happened.
DIKO deputy Zacharias Koulias said questions were being raised as to “why the plane was so far off course and flying over a built-up area at such a low altitude.”
He added that the fact that the lane was making such a dangerous manoeuvre was also a major question.
“These are the major questions which will need to be answered and we will expect the answers in about three to four days. It seems pretty clear what happened.”
But Koulias then went on to link Saturday’s crash with the 2004 referendum on the Annan plan.
“I believe that the aftermath of the Annan plan and the referendum has had a negative impact on the National Guard. However, I am not saying that there is misconduct in the National Guard. The National Guard needs a lot of hard work to keep itself going. But we should also know that the army is part of our way of life and part of our society and what can affect our society can also affect other areas such as the army.
“Perhaps this incident is a reminder that we will need to find the strength to look into some elements in the National Guard.”
But DISY deputy Antonis Karras launched a scathing attack against the National Guard, stating that misconduct and bad maintenance were most likely the reasons behind Saturday’s crash.
“It is clear that this tragic event has confirmed the fears that DISY has been voicing for some years now. It is obvious that the National Guard has problems in various sectors, such as training, discipline and problems in maintenance.
“The plane was off course some 70 kilometres: there is a problem either with discipline or with maintenance of the aircraft. A combination of both should also not be ruled out. A committee needs to be assembled to inspect the infrastructure in the army and in what shape they are in. We have passed a dangerous line and we are all now in tragic situation.”
It wasn’t long before AKEL deputy Yiannakis Thomas joined the discussion and immediately accused both Karras and Koulias of making premature and groundless speculation.
“DISY have already launched an attack against the National Guard and we haven’t even found the reasons as to why the plane crashed nor have we buried the bodies of the two officers. All they have done is launched an attack on the loyalty of the National Guard and of the government.”
And more feathers were ruffled when Thomas referred to what he believed were the “suspicious circumstances” which led to the death of National Guard Chief Evangelos Florakis, who was killed in a helicopter crash along with four other officers in 2002.
“My question is why these accusations were not raised when the leader of our National Guard Evangelos Florakis was killed in the helicopter crash, which in my opinion was a suspicious crash. I will not go into why I found his death suspicious because some things cannot be said to the mass media. It is my own personal opinion, which is shared by other politicians as well as some people in society, and I am entitled to have a personal opinion. That crash was not just an accident.”
Government Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides said that even if the plane crash was put down to misconduct, it did not mean that the entire National Guard had problems with discipline.
“I find it illogical for issues concerning discipline to be raised at this time. The real question right now was why the plane was off course.”
He added that the National Guard had declared three days of mourning in memory of the two officers who had died in the crash.
