Cypriot authorities under investigation: helicopter rental tenders at the center of corruption scandal

A corruption case involving the rental of firefighting helicopters is under investigation in Cyprus. At the center are employees of the Forestry Department (FD), suspected of manipulating the tender process. According to media reports, three of them have been suspended but continued to participate in the preparation of new procurements, including this year’s canceled tender.

The investigation began after a complaint was filed by a company that lost the tender, addressed to the Minister of Agriculture. The company claims that FD officials favored a specific firm that had already received six contracts between 2018 and 2024. The Attorney General’s Office handed the case over to the police, who launched a criminal investigation involving searches, document seizures, and suspect interviews.

Authorities are investigating potential corruption, abuse of power, and conflicts of interest. One case involves a relative of an FD official working for the company that won multimillion-euro tenders. The case involves eight suspects: four individuals and four companies.

Particular attention is being paid to contracts with the Ukrainian company Air Taurus, which supplied Russian Kamov helicopters. Despite EU sanctions, problems with parts and documentation, the government again awarded it a contract. Documents submitted for the tender were in Russian without translation, contained invalid pilot medical certificates, and incomplete technical data, violating ICAO and EU tender standards.

Further violations were found in another tender. Avsac Ltd, representing Slovak Heli Company, leased two UH-60 Sikorsky helicopters, one of which had previously been declared unfit for use in Italy. Despite this, the tender was approved.

Although some contracts have been canceled, the investigation is ongoing. Police do not rule out criminal charges if corruption allegations are confirmed. Meanwhile, authorities plan to stop renting and instead purchase their own aircraft for firefighting purposes.