The Nicosia criminal court on Friday rejected the prosecution’s request to cross-examine lawyer Andreas Pittadjis as part of the trial of two former MPs facing criminal charges over a report by Al Jazeera into the alleged illegal naturalisations of people as citizens of the Republic of Cyprus, commonly known as the ‘golden passports scandal’.

The decision was taken by a majority, with one of the court’s three-judge panel voting to allow Pittadjis to be cross-examined.

However, the majority position was that while the prosecution had stated that cross-examining Pittadjis was “the only way” to ensure the proper execution of justice, the defence had taken the position that the reason for the request was to “present additional evidence as normal” and “strengthen their position”.

The defence, the court said, had also said that “by presenting the evidence in the context of testimony, the defence attempted to fill the gaps in the police’s investigation”.

The court said that a request for cross-examination may be approved if it is deemed reasonable or necessary for the execution of justice, but that in this case, “the context of the intended cross-examination has not been determined”.

Additionally, it said, the prosecution “did not present how the cross-examination would be used to support its position”, and as such rejected the request.

The court also pointed out that Pittadjis had begun the case as a defendant, before all charges against him were dropped in 2023.

It said that while this fact alone is not a reason to reject a request for cross-examination, “the fact that [Pittadjis] was acquitted of the charges without being tried raises an issue, and approving his request for cross-examination would run the risk of derailing the process”.

Pittadjis had gained infamy as a result of the Al Jazeera documentary after quipping “this is Cyprus” upon being asked by an undercover reporter if he had previously changed a client’s name on a Cypriot passport issued to them.

While he was acquitted in 2023, former House president Demetris Syllouris and former Akel MP Christakis Giovani are both facing charges including conspiracy to subvert the Republic and influencing a public official in violation of the laws criminalising corruption.

Al Jazeera aired an almost hour-long exposé of the scandal in October 2020, prompting Syllouris and Giovani to both resign.

In the documentary, undercover reporters played the role of agents acting on behalf of a fictional Chinese businessman with a criminal record, aiming to secure him Cypriot citizenship.

Syllouris, Giovani, Pittadjis, and others were shown offering to help the man in his quest for citizenship despite his criminal record.

The government of the day then scrapped Cyprus’ citizenship by investment scheme, with the European Union having launched legal proceedings over claims the scheme had been used to sell passports to dubious individuals.

A subsequent inquiry found that 53 per cent of 6,779 citizenships granted through the scheme were unlawful, with the government since having commenced the process of cancelling the citizenship of some naturalised through the scheme.