The Law Office is convening a meeting today to review cases related to the naturalization of foreign businessmen and investors. This meeting follows the recent criminal charges against former Minister of Transport, Communications, and Works, Marios Demetriades.
According to sources from the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), the meeting will focus on naturalization cases still under police investigation that have reached an advanced stage. The aim is to provide appropriate instructions for further action. The meeting will be chaired by Attorney General George Savvidis.
The political landscape was shaken yesterday by the news of charges against Demetriades, who has vehemently denied the accusations, calling them “pre-decided targeting” and “false claims and malicious charges.” He expressed confidence in the justice system, stating, “For four years as Minister of Transport, Communications, and Works, I served responsibly and with integrity, always prioritizing the public interest. Despite thorough scrutiny of my personal, family, and professional life, as well as my political decisions, nothing untoward was found.”
Demetriades further claimed that the charges were intended to divert attention from those truly responsible for the Cyprus Investment Programme, and he expressed confidence that the truth would emerge in court.
The citizenship-by-investment scheme, also known as the “golden passports programme,” was abolished following an undercover investigation by Al Jazeera that exposed widespread corruption. The investigation revealed that the government had approved the issuance of passports to international criminals and fugitives, drawing sharp criticism from the European Union and sparking protests across Cyprus.
Under the now-defunct scheme, foreign nationals could acquire a Cypriot passport by investing more than 2 million euros in the country.
( Sources : CNA / Philenews)
