The Criminal Court of Nicosia on Tuesday acquitted former House President Demetris Syllouris and former MP and businessman Christakis Giovanis in the high-profile case linked to Cyprus’ “golden passports” scheme and the Al Jazeera revelations.
The court ruled that the corruption charges against both men had not been proven, bringing to a close one of the most closely watched criminal trials in recent years.
The case stemmed from the Cyprus Investment Programme (CIP), under which foreign investors could obtain Cypriot citizenship in exchange for substantial investments in the country. The scheme, launched to attract foreign capital following the 2013 financial crisis, granted citizenship to thousands of investors before it was terminated in November 2020 amid mounting criticism and allegations of abuse.
The programme came under intense scrutiny after an undercover investigation by Al Jazeera in 2020 alleged that senior officials were willing to assist a fictitious investor with a criminal record to secure Cypriot citizenship. The broadcast triggered criminal and administrative investigations and ultimately led to the present case.
Delivering a majority decision spanning 170 pages, the court found that the charge of corruption had not been established against either defendant. It ruled that Syllouris did not act with intent to commit corruption and dismissed the first charge against him.
The bench also found that it had not been proven that a former minister had been pressured or influenced by the defendants in relation to exceptional naturalisations submitted to the Council of Ministers.
In its reasoning, the court noted the absence of essential witnesses for whom no explanation was provided by the prosecution, as they were not called to testify. It also referred to the non-submission of messages allegedly exchanged between lawyer Andreas Pittatzis and an investor who testified in the case.
The court described as important the testimony of a competent official from the Interior Ministry responsible for naturalisations, who was familiar with the procedure but said she could not recall specific details due to the large number of applications processed. It accepted her account that she had received telephone calls from the then House President to inquire about the progress of applications, as well as her communication with his secretary, without considering this improper.
Charges against Pittatzis had previously been withdrawn, and the court made reference to the background that led to the suspension of proceedings against him.
Syllouris and Giovanis had faced charges including corruption and abuse of office. With Tuesday’s ruling, both men were found not guilty on the charges brought against them.
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