A public inquiry into Cyprus’ handling of dangerous vehicle recalls revealed on Thursday that successive transport ministers were left uninformed about critical safety warnings, including those linked to fatal accidents.

The investigative committee examining the vehicle recall process met on Thursday to look into the chain of information passed to political superiors between 2004 and 2018. It emerged that key ministers received no formal alerts about life-threatening equipment defects, including faulty Takata airbags. The inquiry is expected to conclude on Monday with the testimony of the traffic department’s national chief. His input will focus on whether the police raised or failed to raise concerns at the road safety council, where they hold a seat alongside government officials.

First to testify on Thursday was former transport minister Marios Demetriades, who served from March 2014 to February 2018. He said he was never briefed about vehicle recall risks during his term, not by his predecessor Tasos Mitsopoulos, who died a week after handing over, nor by ministry staff.

Demetriades admitted he was not aware of a March 2017 circular from the road transport department that effectively relieved car importers of responsibility over recalls. He claimed the document had been sent to the ministry’s permanent secretary, not to him directly. He only saw it later when it was published.

When asked about the Takata airbag scandal, linked to the deaths of two young people in Cyprus, Demetriades said he was only made aware after the fatalities.

“Ministers are usually informed by the permanent secretary or the press. I received no such update,” he said.

He stressed he held regular meetings with department heads and was proactive in following up on unresolved matters. Yet, he insisted the issue never came up, not even at the road safety council, where he chaired sessions and the justice minister also sat.

“There was no discussion, not even regarding Takata,” he said.

He was also asked about the investigation report into the 2018 road accident involving Alexandros Lougos, which was issued by the electromechanical service. Demetriades said the ministry should have been informed, yet insisted that “the greater responsibility lies with the police.”

He described a failure in how information was shared between departments, admitting that “one thing clearly lacking was the dissemination of critical information.” Demetriades stressed he did not judge those who had also failed to consider this, adding, “I didn’t think of it either at the time.”

The committee’s chairman, Michalakis Christodoulou, challenged Demetriades’ position. He asked whether it was realistic to expect the police to report on a technical document issued by a department under the minister’s own authority.

Demetriades responded that the report was “very technical” and not meant for the minister. But the chairman pointed out the report warned that millions of cars were recalled worldwide because of the same defect.

Demetriades conceded that the flow of information within the ministry, and to the public, was flawed. He suggested that Cyprus should create a public website listing all vehicle safety notices.

“This is something I should have thought of back then. I only realised in 2024 how serious the Takata issue was,” he admitted.

Two other deaths in Cyprus have been attributed to faulty Takata airbags. On January 24, 2023, 24-year-old Kyriakos Oxinos lost his life when his car’s airbag exploded during a crash in Engomi, ejecting metal shrapnel that caused fatal injuries. Later, on October 21, 2024, 19-year-old Styliani Giorgalli died in a road accident between Avgorou and Frenaros. An autopsy revealed she succumbed to haemorrhagic shock caused by a ruptured aorta and lung, injuries allegedly inflicted by metal fragments from a defective airbag.

The inquiry’s chair also revealed that as early as 2013, Cyprus’ consumer protection service had issued 73 alerts to the road transport department about dangerous vehicles. Citizens had also written letters of concern. Yet, the department, which reported to the transport ministry, took no visible action.

“You served for four years in that ministry, and you say they didn’t inform you of any of this. Do you feel you fulfilled your duty?” Christodoulou asked.

Demetriades answered, “It’s clear I wasn’t informed. Not even at the EU level was Takata ever discussed during my term.” He said he did what he could within his power.

“We weren’t all completely innocent, but we each did what we could. Some things were beyond us.”

The former minister said Cyprus must now take stronger steps to coordinate road safety efforts. He backed a proposal for the Road Safety Council to include technical experts who can bridge gaps between departments and ensure faster communication.

He also admitted it would have been proper for the electromechanical services and the road transport department to notify the ministry after the 2017 accident involving Alexandros Lougos.

“It would have been right and useful to inform us,” he said.

The committee also heard from former transport minister Erato Kozakou Marcoullis, who served from March 2, 2010, to August 4, 2011. She told the inquiry that her predecessor, Nicos Nicolaides, had handed her a box file containing reports and pending issues from all ministry departments during their transition meeting. However, she was unable to conduct a similar handover to her successor, as her term ended abruptly two days after Diko withdrew from the government and ministers were urgently replaced.

She noted that both she and the then deputy permanent secretary, Alecos Michailides, had assured her successor, Efthymios Flourentzou, that they were available for any questions, and indeed, they had regular communication for several weeks following the transition.

Marcoullis expressed hope that the inquiry would lead to accountability, saying “there are responsibilities,” to which the chairman replied, “be sure, where they are found, they will be assigned as required by law.”

She added that she had excellent cooperation with her ministry’s permanent secretaries and that no issues regarding Takata airbags ever came before her.

The Takata issue was also never raised at the EU level during her tenure, nor at the road safety council meetings she chaired.

Her successor, Efthymios Flourentzou, who served from August 5, 2011, to February 28, 2013, said he was not briefed about Takata airbags either by Marcoullis or ministry officials. He confirmed he did not pass on any such warnings to his own successor, Tasos Mitsopoulos, as the matter had not come to his attention.

Flourentzou denied that the road transport department (TOM) operated independently from ministerial oversight, saying daily contact existed between TOM and its supervising administrative officer. Any policy issues would be escalated to the director-general and then to the minister.

The committee’s final report is currently being drafted, with its findings expected by late June or early July. However, further changes may be made after Monday’s final testimony.