Criminal investigation launched into fatal Takata airbag incidents in Cyprus

One year after the findings of a research committee were released, Cypriot police have identified three individuals and one legal entity as primary suspects in a criminal investigation regarding the fatal Takata airbag defect. Authorities are probing potential criminal offenses, including decisions, acts, or omissions that led to the deaths of 24-year-old Kyriakos Oxinos in Nicosia on January 24, 2023, and 19-year-old Styliani Georgalli on October 21, 2024, on the Avgorou-Frenaros road.

The suspects, who have been called in for questioning, reportedly include former Transport Minister Marios Demetriades, current Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades, Director General Stavros Nicolaides, and an individual identified as Kolettas. Investigators are focusing on whether the certification and management of these defective vehicle parts constituted criminal negligence or manslaughter. The Legal Service is overseeing the inquiry, and the Attorney General, in coordination with the Assistant Attorney General and Prosecutor Elena Kleopa, will decide whether to formally file charges against the suspects.

This investigation follows public scrutiny over how these components were regulated and allowed into vehicles, with past officials from the Department of Road Transport under particular examination for their roles in the oversight of these defective parts.