THE head of the President’s diplomatic office was displeased with Demetris Christofias saying he had instructed him to destroy the confiscated munitions, which eventually exploded killing 13 men, it emerged yesterday.
“After the President’s testimony (on Monday), I told anyone who asked me that it seemed, according to media reports, that the President said – I don’t know if it is accurate or not – he had given me instructions to destroy the cargo and this displeases me,” Leonidas Pantelides told an inquiry.
Pantelides’ statement came after Chris Triantafyllides, a lawyer who represents relatives of the people killed in the July 11 blast, charged that a statement issued by the government on Wednesday, was an intervention in the inquiry.
The statement, issued by government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou, said that reports following Christofias’ testimony suggested that Pantelides had not followed the president’s instructions to destroy the cargo.
“Mr. Pantelides could not assume responsibility for the cargo’s destruction,” Stefanou said. “His duties include contacts and communication with foreign diplomats and not mediating between ministries and departments.”
After the seizure of the munitions from a ship sailing from Iran to Syria, Pantelides, with Christofias’ consent, started exploring the prospect of destroying the cargo during contacts with Iran, Stefanou said.
Within this framework, Pantelides held a meeting with defence ministry representatives in September 2010 to see if the National Guard could destroy the cargo, the spokesman said.
Triantafyllides said the statement was a clear bid to direct Pantelides, on the eve of his appearance before the inquiry.
Pantelides said he knew the government spokesman would issue an announcement, and had discussed its contents with him, but he did not take part in drafting it.
Pantelides said the announcement did not affect his testimony and he did not take into account what anyone else said.
“The announcements issued by the spokesman are not my business,” Pantelides said. “I cannot respond on behalf of the government spokesman but I assure you it does not make any difference.”
The diplomat said he had discussed the matter with Christofias and “it appears” that was the reason behind the announcement.
The head of the investigation, Polys Polyviou, said he only takes into account preexisting documents as evidence as well as sworn statements and nothing else.
“Neither statements from the government spokesman, nor anyone else,” Polyviou said
