A fire that broke out on July 27 at the Kalo Chorio firing range, during a National Guard training exercise, spread over a large area, threatened the communities of Agia Anna and Psevdas and burned around 120 hectares of land. An official report into the blaze has found no criminal responsibility.
According to sources, the report does attribute disciplinary responsibility to National Guard officers over negligence in carrying out their duties.
The Chief and Deputy Chief of the National Guard General Staff were excluded from the scope of the investigation, as the investigating officer, Brigadier Savvas Stefanou, had no authority to examine their actions. Both are appointed by the President of the Republic, who alone can decide on their removal, in consultation with the Defence Minister.
The report is expected to be forwarded to the Law Office either today or tomorrow. Because of the mid-August holiday period, however, substantive developments in the case are expected only next week.
The report also gives particular attention to the weather conditions on the day of the fire. According to its data, temperatures in Kalo Chorio at the time the fire broke out were below the 38-degree threshold that applies to the use of firing ranges.
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