AN inquiry into the causes of a deadly blast earlier this month will be swift and transparent and will not exempt anyone, the investigator said yesterday.
“There was a collapse of the system and we want to know who is responsible,” lawyer Polys Polyviou said. “No one will be exempted from the investigation; absolutely no one.”
He added that every effort would be made to have the findings ready by the end of September.
The one-man committee was appointed by the cabinet to look into potential responsibility by state and other officials leading to the July 11 blast at the Evangelos Florakis naval base that killed 13 soldiers and fire-fighters and incapacitated the island’s biggest power station.
The committee cannot assign criminal responsibility on anyone.
“The present investigating committee is not a court, not a disciplinary body, not the police and not a criminal investigator,” Polyviou said.
The criminal angle of the case is the task of an ongoing criminal investigation carried out by the police under the supervision of the Attorney-general.
Polyviou will be assisted by three lawyers – one being a state attorney – an explosives expert, and two police officers seconded to his committee.
One of the police officers had taken part in the investigation of the August 2005 Helios airways crash that killed all 121 on board.
Polyviou noted that he also has the right to invite additional experts, from Cyprus and abroad, if deemed necessary.
His appointment has been disputed from the onset, with various circles doubting his objectivity, independence and ability to investigate the body that appointed him in the first place.
Speaking during the committee’s first hearing yesterday, Polyviou stressed that even President Demetris Christofias will be investigated along with his cabinet.
“Do not doubt, do not fear, that responsibility will not be assigned in my findings report,” Polyviou told reporters and relatives of the victims, warning that he would resign if anyone tried to intervene with his work.
Lawyers representing some of the victims’ families were also present.
Polyviou said he had been appointed under an antiquated law, which Cyprus had not sought to modernise since 1942.
He pointed out that there was no other law providing for investigating committees so it was either this or no investigation.
“Thus, I considered it my duty to assume the investigation despite the law’s inadequacy,” Polyviou said.”An investigation is better than no investigation.”
Yesterday’s hearing was used by Polyviou to provide a roadmap of sorts on how he plans to proceed.
He said he has already asked for relevant documents from various ministries and services by Wednesday while witnesses are expected to start appearing on August 22.
Witnesses appearing before the committee have the right not to answer a question if there is a possibility of self-incrimination.
The committee will also tread carefully so as not to compromise the criminal proceedings.
“We will be very careful not to do or say anything that would jeopardise the criminal procedure,” Polyviou said.
He said hearings will be open except when there is a serious reason for a session to be closed.
Before the proceedings started, the committee observed a one-minute silence in memory of the dead.
Addressing the committee, the sister of fire-fighter Spyros Tandis, who died in the blast, asked for those responsible to be found.
Overcome by tears, she said yesterday would have been her brother’s 38th birthday, and the best gift to him would be for those responsible to be named.
