The Law Office of the Republic greenlighted the start of prosecutorial actions in the largest citizenship services fraud case and three additional cases yesterday.
Philenews reports that during a conference on Thursday, the Law Office and police investigators, overseen by the Chief of Police, discussed dossiers on ongoing citizenship fraud investigation.
The discussion led to the conclusion that three of the cases are now complete and have been forwarded to the Law Office for further examination and directives.
Among these is the most substantial case, involving a predominant law firm investigated for its role in 20 specific citizenship applications, though it has been implicated in over a hundred instances overall.
According to philenews, the judiciary is expected to examine all four cases, paving the way for the formulation of formal charges.
The investigations have unveiled intentions to prosecute not only the implicated law firm but also individual lawyers, additional staff members, and the firm itself.
The police have compiled evidence pinpointing the offences committed and identifying the culprits.
There are other individuals implicated in the scandal whose fates will be determined in due course.
Revelations from documents presented to the Supreme Court in related legal proceedings highlighted the police’s probe into grave violations by the accused, who sought to annul orders for the release of digital data through repeated legal applications.
The case involving the 20 citizenship applications managed by the same firm was initially transferred to the Law Office some time ago. Following a request for further investigations and the accumulation of additional evidence, it was once again submitted for a conclusive verdict.
A team of 12 investigators continues to delve into the ‘golden passport’ scandal, with several cases remaining unresolved.
Police Chief Stelios Papatheodorou hinted at imminent advancements regarding the illicit citizenship cases, indicating that some are nearing resolution.
He deferred any forthcoming announcements to the Attorney General, stating, “The cases are advancing.”
The citizenship-by-investment scheme – known as the ‘golden passports programme’ – was abolished after an undercover investigation by Al Jazeera revealed rampant corruption and that the government approved issuing passports to international criminals and fugitives, drawing criticism from the European Union and sparking protests in the country.
Under the scheme, foreign nationals were able to acquire a Cypriot passport by investing more than 2 million euros in the country.
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