An army officer who admitted of cocaine use not only did he not get prosecuted but was actually given a promotion before his forced resignation so as to get higher pension benefits.
This is what Auditor General Odysseas Michaelides told the House Watchdog Committee on Thursday, adding that the loopholes in the operation of the National Guard are way too big.
He also referred to another shocking case where a female sergeant took 762 days of leave during her three-year-long service.
And even though she could have been fired after her probation time had ended this never took place because – in the early stages of her recruitment – she was evaluated as excellent. She had never been re-evaluated since she was not there but on leave.
Another case is that of a student of the Military School of Medicine who finished his studies after 11 years rather than the six provided by army rules and regulations.
And even though he had submitted a proposal to terminate his studies and pay back €56,948 as provided in relevant regulations the Ministry of Defense administration had granted successive extensions until completion of his degree.
