Investigations into possible disciplinary offences in development works in the Akamas are ongoing at the state legal service, the ministry of agriculture said on Sunday.
In a statement, it added that Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou has repeatedly stated, “where and where responsibilities are documented, they will be attributed.”
The ministry was speaking after Greens head George Perdikis said three state investigations in over a year into the “criminal works” in the Akamas have achieved nothing.
Environmentalists have repeatedly called for someone to be held accountable for the now-stalled but destructive roadworks in the environmentally sensitive Akamas.
An inquiry identified former director of the Forestry Department Charalambos Alexandrou and the former director of the Environmental Department Costas Hadjipanayiotou as having possibly committed disciplinary offences.
The works, the ministry said, “will be completed at the end of 2027, as provided for in the initial planning.
“Our primary concern, as the competent minister had recently stated, is to safeguard this environmental treasure.”
Completion of the works, the ministry said, “is not a matter of simple completion, but what matters is that the projects are done correctly and with a reduced environmental footprint”.
Works to improve access in the park have stopped and started and received widespread complaints from environmentalists while a reformed plan reduced the impact of works.
A better picture of when and how work will restart will become clear this month, the ministry said.
“Strict environmental supervision of projects should be taken for granted, within the philosophy of the Akamas Sustainable Management and Development Plan,” it concluded.
The project, which began in September 2023, aimed to improve 13.4 kilometres of roads within the Akamas National Forest Park to enhance safety.
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