The defence in the ‘golden passports’ trial sought on Thursday to stun a prosecution witness by presenting him with a document purporting to show that former House president Demetri Syllouris had direct authorisation from ex-president Nicos Anastasiades to represent Cyprus as an investment destination in events held overseas.

The document was presented by Chris Triantafyllides, lead attorney for defendant Syllouris.

On trial at Nicosia criminal court are Syllouris and former Akel MP Christakis Giovani. They face charges of influence peddling and conspiracy to defraud, relating to the naturalisation of foreign investors in connection with the citizenship-via-investment scheme, scrapped in late 2020 soon after the airing of an expose by the Al Jazeera news network.

Triantafyllides was cross-examining the last witness for the prosecution, Chrysanthos Christou, the officer who headed up the police investigation that led to the indictments.

The attorney first asked the witness if he was aware of Cypriot delegations abroad tasked with attracting foreign investors.

Responding, the witness said he was unaware, but added that during the course of the police probe he had formally asked parliament if it had any such jurisdiction.

The response he got was that it did not.

Triantafyllides tried again, to which the witness repeated that parliament had given a clear answer – the House does not organise delegations overseas to promote Cyprus as an investment destination.

The lawyer pressed on, putting it to the court that Syllouris “used to participate, with everyone’s knowledge – not clandestinely – in delegations abroad, in order to attract investors”.

Christou said he was not aware.

Next, the defence attorney presented to the court a document according to which former president Nicos Anastasiades personally authorised Syllouris to carry out such tasks.

The state prosecutor then demanded that the document be formally submitted to the court for authentication.

Firing back, Triantafyllides said that if the prosecutors question the authenticity of the document, “I shall summon the then-president [meaning Anastasiades] if need be”.

For his part, the witness said this was the first time he heard of such a document.

The cross-examination of Christou continues on Friday.