Cypriot ex-minister gets 5-year jail sentence over blastAugust 2, 2013 - 14:46 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A former Cypriot defense minister was given a five-year jail term on Friday, Aug 2, over a munitions blast two years ago which killed 13 people and crippled the island's electricity grid, according to Reuters. Costas Papacostas, who served in the island's former communist government, was found guilty of manslaughter and causing death through negligence. The 74-year-old has been in hospital with a heart condition since he was found guilty on July 9 and was not present in court. Three senior officers in the island's fire and emergency services were also jailed for two years for causing death through negligence. The court ruled that the defendants had been responsible for a sequence of failures to safeguard a cargo of confiscated Iranian munitions that exploded on July 11 2011. Papacostas resigned in the wake of the blast. A second minister on trial, former foreign minister Marcos Kyprianou, was cleared. The munitions, which included compressed gunpowder and shell casings, were kept for months in scorching heat at the island's only naval base, next to Vassilikos, its main power station. Vassilikos was extensively damaged in the blast, in the island's worst peacetime disaster. During the trial the court heard testimony that senior officials had played down or been unresponsive to warnings from lower-ranking officers that the cargo was unstable. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Power of One Dram sums up two-year program with Teach for Armenia Idram Junior also joined the companies during the visit, bringing with it a fascinating intellectual game for children Moscow slams EU mission in Armenia for “provocative activity” The EU mission is doing more and more against Armenia’s neighbors Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran, Mikhail Galuzin said. Yerevan Mayor to travel to Paris on May 15-19 The official delegation headed by Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan will travel to Paris from May 15 to 19. Armenia, India hold first defense consultations The meeting was attended by Indian Ambassador Nilakshi Saha Sinha and Defense Attaché Brigadier General Naveen Nijhawan. |