The pervasive impression that was artificially created through the depositions of current and former senior state officials in the commission of inquiry into the “golden” passports that applications for exceptional naturalization were checked by the Anti-Concealment Unit (MOKAS) for yesterday beyond wrong. As it turned out, this is a myth that was obviously cultivated in public, apparently in order to transfer the responsibilities of the scandal elsewhere, and the head of MOKAS and the prosecutor of the Republic, Ms. Eva Papakyriakou, was particularly strong in her statement to the investigative committee yesterday. As it was revealed, out of the 3,500 applications of investors plus their spouses and children approved by the Council of Ministers for the exceptional granting of Cypriot citizenship, only about 270 were forwarded by the Ministry of Interior to MOKAS for control. In fact, the majority of these applications were sent after 2015, when various issues arose only for a very small number of applications.
As Mrs. Papakyriakou explained, the data of the investors that were transmitted to MOKAS for control were registered in the database of the unit where it was ascertained whether they had anything to their detriment. According to Ms. Papakyriakou, in the letters sent by MOKAS to the Ministry of Interior with the information that nothing was found to be wrong, the indication was made that this does not mean that these investors are “clean” and are not involved in suspicious transactions. However, he noted, other government agencies considered these MOKAS letters to be a “green light” and proceeded with naturalization procedures without further scrutiny.
More about the issue in the printed version of “P” and for the subscribers of POLITIS PREMIUM the digital edition of the newspaper in PDF at the same time with its printed circulation daily from 05.00 in the morning.
