Redacted interim report on passports to be published

A panel investigating the controversial citizenship by investment programme said Friday its interim findings reports would be published after personal data and certain other data were redacted for public interest reasons.

In a written statement, the four-member panel said it had spoken with the attorney-general about publishing the hefty report, which spans some 4,000 with the appendices.

The statement said it had been agreed that names would be removed in line with personal data legislation. The two sides also agreed the principles the attorney-general would apply when redacting certain data for public interest reasons.

The committee had delivered its 515-page interim report last week. Attorney-general Giorgos Savvides had said at the time that a redacted version of the findings would be published after they were thoroughly studied by the Legal Service.

Savvides said removal of certain information was necessary so as not to jeopardise potential legal or disciplinary procedures in the future.

Opposition parties have demanded immediate publication of the report and have also passed a resolution in parliament asking Savvides and his deputy, Savvas Angelides, to recuse themselves from reviewing the document. As attorney-general, Savvides will have the final say on potential prosecutions.

Both men were members of a cabinet that approved citizenship applications.