Cyprus’s parliamentary Defence Committee is examining philenews revelations that Egyptian-made hand grenades used by the National Guard appear to have remained in service years after their declared shelf life had expired, as an Athens court weighs a damages claim from a soldier maimed by one of the devices.
Committee chair Evgenios Hamboullas said on Monday, in televised remarks on Sigma, that the minutes of a parliamentary discussion held on the same issue had already been requested. He was referring to two philenews reports, published on Saturday and Monday.
Philenews had reported on 27 February 2024, while investigating the serious injury of an ELDYK soldier during a military exercise, that the National Guard had procured 75,000 DG 270/2 type hand grenades by 2009 under a 2008 contract with an Egyptian company, one clause of which stated the grenades carried a five-year warranty and a ten-year shelf life from their year of manufacture. The same report revealed that the National Guard had supplied ELDYK, the Greek military contingent stationed in Cyprus, with grenades from the same batch in 2023.
One of those grenades exploded in the hand of an ELDYK soldier during an exercise in the Stavrovouni area on 21 February 2024. The soldier, then 23, suffered an amputated palm and lost his right eye.
Courtroom testimony
The soldier, now 25 and a Greek citizen, has taken legal action against the Greek state, seeking damages. On Friday, as part of that case, his lawyers submitted testimony to the Three-Member Administrative Court of First Instance of Athens stating that the grenade which exploded came from the 2008 batch.
According to what his legal representatives presented to the court, the grenades “were visually inspected for cracks by a lieutenant, two were removed because of cracks, another two never detonated, and one amputated the right hand and destroyed the eyes of a Greek soldier.” A ruling is expected within the next few months.
Political reaction
Responding to questions from journalist Christos Michalaros on Sigma, Hamboullas said the committee would look at the matter “in the immediately upcoming sessions.” He added: “I have been in contact with the leadership, I have obtained the necessary information, I am aware of an investigation that was carried out in the previous period, and I have asked for the Defence Committee to also be briefed so that it can draw its own conclusions.” He struck a reassuring note, saying: “We have assurances that the safety measures taken are such that they do not endanger the lives of National Guard personnel. We should also stress that in recent years the National Guard has had access to markets in countries with particular security sensitivities, and the upgrade under way in equipment and ammunition is ongoing.”
Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas was more guarded on the matter. Asked about it after signing a memorandum of cooperation between the Defence Ministry and the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), he said: “Since there is an ongoing judicial process in Greece concerning this specific incident, as well as the lawsuits filed against the Greek state by those who suffered the accident, I cannot make any further comment, because it could potentially create other facts and circumstances around this judicial process.”
