House calls for immediate release of interim passports report

Parliament on Thursday called for the immediate release of an interim report on the controversial passports scheme that was recently completely and delivered to the attorney-general.

In a resolution, the House urged the attorney-general and his deputy to abstain from the process of assessing the interim report, so that it can be released to the public without delay.

The interim report is currently with the attorney-general, who will determine whether there are grounds for criminal prosecutions.

Earlier, Attorney-general Giorgos Savvides had said both the interim and the final reports would be published, though in redacted form. But for the reports to be released to the public, the Law Office of the Republic must first read and vet them.

The House resolution called on the supreme court, in its capacity as the custodian of the constitution, to step in to ensure the interim report is published should the attorney-general decline to do so.

The parliamentary resolution passed with 28 votes for, 18 against and eight abstentions.

According to the chair of the committee of inquiry investigating the passports scheme, a little more than half of about 3,000 citizenships granted by the state between 2007 and August 2020 were unlawful.