The audit office is preparing a report examining the lists used to identify 1974 prisoners of war and the payment of relevant benefits.

Speaking to the Cyprus Mail on Wednesday, the office affirmed that the auditor-general Andreas Papaconstantinou has received reports on the matter and that the office’s findings are expected to be published soon.

The review follows claims that individuals may have been incorrectly included on prisoner lists and subsequently received a €1,000 allowance every six months.

The prisoners of war association chief Vassos Christou informed Phileleftheros that he had been informed by a former presidential commissioner that some 60 to 70 people may have been wrongly included in lists of missing persons.

He stressed that the association was not claiming all cases were fraudulent but was instead seeking an audit to establish which cases involved genuine prisoners.

According to Christou, the office will compare the names on lists held by the Red Cross, the National Guard and the interior ministry with the names of people receiving prisoner benefits.

The issue has arisen as different lists have been used historically to establish who qualifies as a prisoner of war.

Christou insisted that the Red Cross list should be the definitive record as it is the only definitive record of prisoners who were registered when they were released by Turkish forces.

He has previously informed MPs on the House refugee committee that some individuals may have obtained National Guard certificates confirming prisoner status without being entitled to them.

He said officers had allegedly signed certificates that were subsequently accepted by the defence ministry.

The defence ministry has insisted it checked applicants’ names against the Red Cross list, a position disputed by the prisoners’ association.

Christou said the association had sought legal assistance and called on Police Chief Themistos Arnaoutis to request his personal intervention.

According to Christou, police said that after the auditor-general’s findings, statements could be taken from those who were not included in the relevant registers.

He said criminal offences could potentially arise both for those who were wrongly included and for those who signed certificates without proper grounds.

Christou also demanded that those found to have obtained benefits through false pretences should be required to repay money received.