golden passports — The prosecution in the golden passports trial has urged the Nicosia court to deliver a guilty verdict for two defendants charged with corruption and defrauding the state. As the trial approaches its conclusion, the court began hearing closing arguments from both the prosecution and the defence on Monday.
The defendants, former House president Demetris Syllouris and ex-MP and businessman Christakis Giovani, are accused of influence peddling and conspiracy to defraud in relation to the naturalisation of foreign investors. Lead prosecutor Charis Karaolidou stated that the defendants had abused their positions to facilitate the issuance of Cypriot passports.
“We urge the court to come to the only reasonable conclusion: a conviction,” Karaolidou asserted, referencing specific cases involving Nikolay Gornovskiy, a former CEO of Gazprom, and Zaineh Ali Himli Armoush, daughter of a Jordanian businessman. Both individuals received Cypriot passports facilitated by the Giovani Group, the real estate developers owned by Giovani.
The prosecution claims that Giovani “recruited” Syllouris in these efforts, suggesting a conspiracy to defraud the state. Karaolidou pointed out that Syllouris had used his influence to intervene in the naturalisation process, even sending a fax to the finance ministry to advocate for reconsideration of an application.
“Syllouris had top-level access,” she noted, highlighting his attendance at investor forums abroad and his long-standing friendship with Giovani, which extended to family ties, as Syllouris’ daughter worked at the Giovani Group.
In contrast, defence attorney Chris Triantafyllides, representing Syllouris, dismissed the prosecution’s case as being “highly competent yet theoretical.” He argued that the allegations were more akin to a narrative from a fiction novel rather than a case based on solid evidence. Triantafyllides claimed that Syllouris’ inquiries regarding naturalisation applications should not be construed as undue interference.
For Giovani, his defence attorney refuted claims that his client had enlisted Syllouris for any nefarious purposes, stating there was “not a shred of evidence” supporting any collusion between the two. The defence maintained that their actions were legitimate and within the bounds of their roles.
The legal proceedings began with four individuals charged in July 2022. Alongside Syllouris and Giovani, lawyer Andreas Pittadjis and Antonis Antoniou, executive director of the Giovani Group, faced similar charges before the allegations against them were dropped.
Notably, the trial has its roots in an investigation prompted by a 2020 exposé by Al Jazeera, which unveiled the questionable practices surrounding the citizenship-by-investment scheme. The documentary featured undercover reporters posing as proxies for a fictitious Chinese businessman with a criminal record, seeking Cypriot citizenship despite his background. This revelation led to the resignation of both Syllouris and Giovani.
As the trial continues, the closing arguments are expected to conclude on Tuesday with the defence for Giovani wrapping up their case. The outcome remains to be seen, but the implications of this trial extend far beyond the courtroom, casting a long shadow over Cyprus’ citizenship practices.
