The possibility of criminal prosecution for what was recorded in the Al Jazeera report is now being considered by the Legal Service, which is studying the file of the interrogation carried out by the Police. Former Parliament Speaker Dimitris Syllouris, former AKEL MP Christakis Tziovannis and lawyer Andreas Pittatzis have been questioned in the case, among others. to the conclusion that criminal offenses are evidenced for some persons and makes relevant suggestions to the Attorney General who has the final say. The file, after being studied by G. Savvidis and S. Angelidis, will be decided whether indictments will be drawn up, or if further actions need to be taken by the Police.
The Legal Service is facing the file of another case that concerns the naturalization of a foreigner with a law firm in Limassol.
100 cases under investigation
According to what The spokesman of the Police Headquarters, Christos Andreou, stated to KYPE, the Police is investigating more than 100 cases, which concern the naturalization of foreign investors, while he specifically emphasized that it is investigating whether criminal offenses are being committed.
Mr. Andreou said that a number of cases are “at a very advanced stage”, adding that “there are cases that have already been sent to the Legal Service”, referring to the two files mentioned above.
The course of the naturalization investigations was set last Friday before a meeting, which took place between the Attorney General of the Republic George Savvidis and the Chief of Police Stelios Papatheodorou, in the presence of the Assistant Attorney General Savvas Angelidis. During the meeting, the Legal Service gave directions and specific schedules to the Police investigators, for the completion of the investigative work.
And the sanctions
Meanwhile, in addition to the illegal naturalizations, for which the commission of criminal offenses is being considered, the cases of Russians in whom the EU has imposed sanctions in connection with the invasion of Ukraine are also being examined. In these cases, there is no question of criminal offenses but of compliance with EU decisions. It has already been decided to revoke the passports of 8 Russian investors and their dependent family members. It is not ruled out that there may be a need to revoke other naturalizations, in addition to those that have been deemed illegal by the Nikolatos Commission, which examined the operation of the KEP.
Suspicion
The Republic of Cyprus is viewed with particular suspicion by our partners in the EU, due to the “golden passport” program, which has enabled many Russians associated with the Putin regime to acquire European citizenship. Cyprus and Malta are already facing infringement proceedings by the Commission, as, despite warnings, they did not suspend the relevant naturalization program in return for investment. Malta had suspended the program, but Cyprus continued to consider applications, even after the suspension, which was labeled a mockery by the EU.
