The Attorney General has received a damning report recommending criminal investigations into senior transport officials over their handling of dangerous Takata airbags, with the inquiry committee citing potential abuse of power charges linked to three deaths and serious injuries.
The investigative committee, chaired by Michalakis Christodoulou, delivered its findings to the Attorney General on Friday, specifically targeting former Transport Minister Marios Dimitriadis and several senior Department of Road Transport (DRT) officials for their role in implementing a 2017 policy that removed safety protections for owners of “grey” imported vehicles.
The committee identified a critical policy shift in 2017 when the DRT issued new guidance absolving Manufacturers’ Distributors from responsibility for recalls on used vehicles, creating a “protection gap” that left owners of grey imports without recall notifications or mandatory repair systems.
Key findings
- Three fatalities attributed to defective Takata airbags, including 24-year-old Kyriakos Oxinos in 2023 and 19-year-old Styliani Giorgalli in 2024
- One serious injury in 2017 resulting in permanent facial disfigurement
- Systematic failure to act on continuous warnings about airbag dangers from 2013 onwards
The committee found the 2017 circular directly contradicted earlier 2011 guidance that held distributors responsible for all vehicle recalls without exception. This policy reversal allegedly exceeded the DRT’s authority, with the committee stating such decisions fall under parliamentary jurisdiction.
Criminal investigation recommendations target former Transport Minister Marios Demetriades, former ministry director-general Alecos Michailides, former DRT director Sotiris Kolettas, and subsequent director Giannis Nikolaides, who signed the controversial 2017 circular.
The committee noted conflicting testimony regarding Demetriades’s knowledge of the policy change. While both Demetriades and Michailides claimed ignorance before the committee, evidence suggests ministry involvement in drafting the 2017 circular, with witness testimony indicating “instructions were given by the Minister on various matters concerning this specific issue.”
The report highlights “serious omissions and inexcusable inaction” by DRT directors Kolettas and Nikolaides, despite continuous warnings about Takata airbag dangers. Both officials allegedly adopted the “erroneous and dangerous” view that the DRT’s sole obligation was forwarding updated owner information to distributors.
This approach contradicted Article 8(4) of the Vehicle Type Approval Law, which requires the competent authority to take immediate action in cases of danger, the committee found.
Public information failures
Meaningful public warnings began only after Kyriakos Oxinos’s death in 2023, when his mother’s public interventions highlighted the issue. The committee rejected claims by the then-director that the DRT had informed the public from January 2023, dismissing this assertion as false.
The committee received warnings from the Consumer Protection Service, citizens, and distributors themselves, yet no substantive action was taken, resulting in “precious time lost and tragic consequences.”
The Attorney General will now determine whether to pursue criminal charges under Article 105 of the Criminal Code, which covers abuse of power offences.
Takata airbags have been linked to deaths and injuries worldwide due to defective inflators that can explode with excessive force, sending metal fragments into vehicle occupants. The Japanese manufacturer filed for bankruptcy in 2017 following one of the largest automotive recalls in history.
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