A public inquiry into a munitions blast that killed 13 people and crippled Cyprus’ main power plant found on Monday that Cypriot President Demetris Christofias was responsible, a finding he rejected.
Lawyer Polis Polyviou — who had been appointed by Christofias — delivered his findings, which are not legally binding, to the president and attorney general before giving a press conference.
“Unfortunately, based on the facts as shown by the testimony that came before me, I have no choice but to conclude that the president of the republic has serious institutional and personal responsibilities in relation to the matter,” Polyviou said. “My conclusion is that the main responsibility for the tragedy lies with the president.”
Polyviou said Christofias’ role in the deadly blast of seized Iranian munitions was “direct, specific, unambiguous and serious.”
He told reporters the president had the “greatest responsibility” because he was in charge of a failed decisionmaking process that saw no measures taken to protect citizens.
Christofias rejected the findings and said he would not resign.
“The president of the republic rejects categorically that he has personal responsibility for the incident,” he told a gathering in Limassol.
“This conclusion by Mr Polyviou is not supported by evidence from the material presented before the investigation committee, but the opposite,” Christofias said, adding that he would not quit. “Resignation ... would lead Cyprus into a protracted election confrontation leading to a period of instability and tension.”
Christofias had been accused of “unforgivable negligence” for allowing the munitions to be stored in the open at a naval base on the island’s south coast for two-and-a-half years, despite repeated warnings.
“It was a time bomb left at the naval base until it exploded,” Polyviou said.
He said he was convinced Christofias was aware of the danger, but chose to keep the 98 containers piled up at the Mari base unprotected just 150m from the island’s biggest power station.
The 650-page Polyviou report says Christofias has no excuse to say he was not told of the dangers.
“The president of the republic, even if his version is accepted, knew at least from September 2010 that the cargo was kept at a National Guard camp in a field exposed to weather phenomena, especially in summer, increasing the danger that comes with the gunpowder deteriorating,” the report said.
Last month, Christofias told the public inquiry he was never told of the risk.
“Saying ‘I didn’t know’ is not enough,” Polyviou said.
Christofias said that at no point was made aware of the risks, even after officials met a week before the July 11 blast to discuss the containers’ deterioration in the scorching summer heat.
The defense and foreign ministers and the commander of the Greek Cypriot National Guard resigned over the blast. The deputy commander was sacked.
The containers had been at Mari since their seizure in February 2009 when Cyprus intercepted a Cypriot-flagged freighter bound from Iran for Syria.
The arms were seized after a UN sanctions committee said the consignment contravened a ban on Iranian arms shipments.
Christofias said the decision to keep the weapons on the island was “correct” after a proposal for the UN to take responsibility for the cache did not materialize.
However, Polyviou said the munitions were kept on Cyprus to placate Syria and Iran in a risky diplomatic game that gave Nicosia no room for maneuver.
He said former foreign minister Marcos Kyprianou blocked the arrival of UN weapons inspectors, who wanted to check the “actual state of the cargo.”
“Within two minutes they would have realized the cargo was in a bad state,” Polyviou said.
Christofias on Monday suggested Polyviou had exceeded the terms of his mandate, especially in his assessment of government foreign policy.
“It is not the work of Polyviou to say what our foreign policy should be,” the president said.
The huge blast killed 13 service personnel and firefighters, and knocked out the island’s biggest power plant, leading to rolling daily power cuts, economic disruption and public uproar.
About 1,000 protesters gathered outside the presidential palace in Nicosia on Monday calling on Christofias to resign.
Relatives of the victims also said Christofias’ comments made them more determined to see him stand down.
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