A growing police investigation into firefighting aircraft contracts issued by the forestry department on Saturday shed light on potential misconduct involving millions in public funds and the same companies repeatedly winning tenders.

According to evidence now under police review, a senior official in the department played a key role in selecting and recommending companies for lucrative state contracts, many of which were eventually awarded to entities linked to the official or his family.

According to a report on Philenews, the most striking element of the findings points to possible conflicts of interest. Police investigators discovered that in at least two cases, the official in question was connected to legal entities that won tenders. The contracts were for hiring aircraft and pilot services aimed at tackling forest fires.

One of the most serious revelations is that a first-degree relative of the official, his mother, was reportedly an officer in a company linked to the winning bidder in three multi-million-euro tenders.

Between 2018 and 2024, six state contracts for pilot services, worth several million euros, were all awarded to the same company. According to police sources, the same forestry department official was involved in the evaluation committee for each of these tenders.

More troubling is the allegation that the official used a vehicle belonging to the awarded company for personal transport. This suggests a deeper connection than is acceptable in public procurement procedures.

The investigation began following a formal complaint made to Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou by a rival company. The complainant alleged that the official manipulated procedures to favour a specific bidder, namely, the firm that secured the six controversial contracts.

Police are currently investigating eight suspects, four individuals and four companies. Among the individuals are three forestry department officials and one corporate director.

Although the investigation is well advanced, key witness testimonies are still pending. The offences under scrutiny include bribery, abuse of power, corruption, and illicit earnings by public servants, charges that carry sentences of up to seven years in prison if proven.

The case stems from an administrative inquiry ordered by Minister Panayiotou after receiving the initial complaint. The ministry completed its probe earlier this year and passed on the findings to the law office, which in turn referred the matter to police. On January 22, the agriculture ministry issued a statement confirming the transfer of evidence.

Based on early police conclusions, three public officials were suspended to protect the integrity of the investigation.

As part of their effort to follow the money, investigators from the crime investigation department have sought court orders to access bank accounts of all individuals and entities tied to the contracts, covering the period from 2017 onwards.

There are now strong suspicions that bribes were paid by companies seeking public contracts, with funds flowing to officials who influenced the tender decisions.

In some instances, those officials appear to have held sway over which firms won the tenders, raising questions over how decisions were made and whether fair procedures were followed.

More than 30 tenders issued by the forestry department for aerial firefighting services are now under review. Four companies are being closely examined for repeated contract awards and possible coordination behind the scenes.

The probe has led to search warrants and the collection of key documents from both public offices and private businesses.

One recent example of the scale of these deals includes a separate €14.5 million contract awarded for two firefighting helicopters over three years. This specific deal, however, is not part of the current investigation, which focuses on older agreements spanning up to eight years.

While police have not filed any charges yet, the accumulation of circumstantial evidence, family connections, use of company resources, and repeated awards to the same firms raises significant ethical and legal concerns.

If proven, the allegations could represent one of the most serious breaches of public trust in recent memory. The case not only involves potential financial wrongdoing but also brings into question the transparency of government procurement processes.

Authorities are expected to continue their inquiries over the coming weeks, with outcomes likely to shape public policy on anti-corruption and oversight in state contracts. The ministry of agriculture and the forestry department have not commented publicly on the developments since the initial announcement in January.