The long-awaited Takata airbag report has been handed to the Attorney General, confirming widespread failings and opening the door to criminal, disciplinary and political accountability. For the family of Kyriakos Oxinos, who died in 2022 when a faulty Takata airbag exploded, the report brings partial closure, but no final justice.
Speaking to Protoselido, Kyriakos’s mother, Maria Loui, expressed cautious satisfaction that the report would be made public. “It’s a step toward transparency,” she said. “We’ll be able to access the information we need if we decide to pursue further legal steps.”
She described the findings as “devastating but necessary,” calling the committee’s work a form of balm, even as she acknowledged: “The road ahead is long.”
Criminal and political accountability
The report, compiled by a three-member investigative committee, attributes criminal responsibility to three individuals, disciplinary liability to five current officials, and also suggests wider political responsibility stretching from 2013 to 2023. It accuses individuals in key roles- past and present- at both the Ministry of Transport and the Department of Road Transport (TOM) of acting with negligence and disregard for public safety.
A particularly damning finding concerns a 2017 circular issued by the TOM director, which exempted official vehicle distributors from responsibility for so-called “grey imports”- cars brought into Cyprus from third countries. As a result, owners of such vehicles were left unprotected from deadly safety defects, including the Takata airbag crisis.
According to committee president Michalakis Christodoulou, “There are indications of abuse of power, negligent homicide, reckless endangerment, and the serious injury of Alexandros,” another Takata victim. The report accuses senior officials of ignoring repeated safety warnings and failing to take preventative action, despite multiple alerts in 2013, 2015, and 2016.
A pattern of inaction
“The Department of Road Transport received continuous warnings, yet took no meaningful action to protect citizens,” Christodoulou said. “They did not fulfil their legal duty to act, failed to inform the public of the risks, and implemented no effective safety measures.”
The inquiry draws comparisons to the Mari explosion, highlighting what it describes as a culture of blame-shifting and institutional apathy. “The TOM became a messenger of information rather than a guardian of public safety,” the report concludes.
The findings also implicate former Directors-General of the Ministry of Transport, accusing them of failing to coordinate or supervise effectively during the critical decade in question. “It is telling,” said Christodoulou, “how easily many claimed ignorance.”
Ministers under scrutiny
Eight former Transport Ministers and the current officeholder gave testimony to the committee. The report finds that all nine bore significant political responsibility. “Not one of them accepted that responsibility,” Christodoulou stated, “hiding behind the excuse that no one informed them. In my view, this is a case of political impunity.”
The Attorney General has confirmed that the findings will be reviewed by a legal team before being released to the public. A file has already been submitted to the Police, with further investigation expected in connection with the deaths of Kyriakos Oxinos and Styliani Georgalli.
Christodoulou also noted that, during the inquiry, the committee learned of additional accidents involving Takata airbags. While they considered calling more witnesses, they ultimately concluded that this would not significantly alter the outcome. However, he did issue a final warning to the public: “We found disturbing levels of driver indifference, with many ignoring repeated calls to replace defective airbags.”
What happens now
The Takata airbag report is expected to shape ongoing investigations and, potentially, criminal prosecutions. But for affected families, including Maria Loui, its true value lies in truth-telling and accountability.
“It won’t bring Kyriakos back,” she said, “but at least now, no one can pretend they didn’t know.”
Also read: TAKATA investigation: “The final report will be damning”
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