The Public Service Commission (PSC) on Friday suspended three employees from the forestry department following receipt of a letter from the agriculture minister in connection with possible criminal offences related to the purchase of aerial firefighting equipment.

CNA reported that the PSC acted immediately to suspend the three employees after receiving the minister’s letter and by noon, they had been informed.

According to the news agency’s information, it said, the request was related to the criminal investigation being conducted by the police on the matter.

The agriculture ministry announced on Wednesday that based on the findings of an administrative probe, police had initiated a criminal investigation into the procedures followed as part of a forestry department tender process for aerial firefighting equipment.

The administrative investigation, which was carried out on the instructions of the minister covered all contracts including leases and maintenance from 2017 to date in order to establish whether there had been any acts or omissions from which either disciplinary or criminal offences could arise.

The report of the administrative investigation was submitted on December 6, 2024 to the minister who forwarded it to the legal service.

Following an evaluation of the data, the findings were forwarded to the police for further investigation and the PSC was asked to suspend the three employees.

Despite the ongoing investigations, the firefighting aircraft programme remains operational.