The Audit Office’s special report criticizes the Police for their handling of a €1.8 million contract. This contract was meant to supply and install systems to protect critical infrastructure from drone threats.
The report says that the Cyprus Police failed twice to get an anti-drone system. After seven years (2018-2025), the project is still not done, leaving critical infrastructure at risk.
It points out that suppliers from the USA, Israel, and Canada, who have advanced equipment, were excluded. The chosen supplier later went bankrupt. The Audit highlights that untrained staff managed public tender processes and that the system failed basic drone detection tests.
Auditor General Andreas Papaconstantinou mentions planning issues by the Police. They didn’t set specific timelines, making it hard to track progress and apply delay penalties. The requirement for experience only in EU or UK airports limited competition unfairly, excluding projects from other tech-savvy countries.
Evaluation Weaknesses
The report notes that there was not enough documentation on the contractor’s technical skills. Key details like previous contract locations and long-term support capability were not fully checked. There were also discrepancies between submitted technical brochures and official manufacturer documents.
Complaints from other bidders about the contractor’s lack of technical ability were not properly looked into, even though it involved national security. These concerns turned out to be valid as the project faced issues with implementation and monitoring, leading to repeated extensions without real progress.
The Auditor General points out that a lack of systematic monitoring is a major problem: For nearly three years, the Contracting Authority had no clear project status or interim confirmations of system functionality. Only during final tests was it found that the systems didn’t meet technical requirements, failing even basic drone detection tests. After failed retests, the contract was ended in April 2025, with guarantees taken back.
Mr. Papaconstantinou finds the ongoing gap unacceptable since there’s no protection for critical infrastructure. After more than seven years and two failed tenders, critical infrastructure still lacks protection against drone threats, and project implementation is still uncertain.
The report explains that protecting critical infrastructure needs two independent systems: a drone detection system and a jamming system. Two attempts to meet this need have failed. The Audit finds that the Cyprus Police did not properly check the contractor’s ability to fulfill the contract during bid evaluation.
The Audit Office suggests adding a requirement for a minimum number of permanent employees related to contract tasks in tenders for specialized critical systems linked to national security. One contractor claimed four staff members, while another company claimed 10 and 12.
Excluded Top Suppliers
The report states that specified frequencies for drone detection were those used by standard drones sold in stores. A criterion requiring successful completion of at least one contract at an EU or UK airport over €500,000 excluded projects from more advanced countries like the USA, Israel, and Canada.
Manufacturer Bankrupt
The Audit Office noted that it became necessary to replace the awarded drone detection system from manufacturer A with another from manufacturer B because manufacturer A went bankrupt and could not fulfill contracts since September 2023.
“Gaps/weaknesses can be prevented through training Police members managing public procurement processes,” says the Audit Office report. “Major issues arise from incorrect application or lack of awareness of legal procedures by specification preparation committees and evaluation committees.” The Police sometimes ignored suggestions from other parties involved, including our Service, causing unnecessary delays,” concludes the Audit Office report.
After ending the contract in April 2025, the Police seized a guarantee advance of €497,056 and a performance bond of €82,842. No other payments were made to the contractor beyond this advance amount.
