Golden passports case to be refiled next week

The ‘golden passports’ case is due to be refiled at Nicosia court at the beginning of next week, reports said on Friday.

Earlier this week Nicosia criminal court threw out case, citing a change in the court composition.

The Cyprus News Agency (CNA) said that according to an informed source, the case will be re-registered on Monday or Tuesday, with the same charges but it is not likely to move forward until at least September.

The charges include conspiracy to defraud the Republic, and influencing a public official in violation of the law that ratifies the Council of Europe Convention on the Criminalisation of Corruption.

The defendants are former House president Demetris Syllouris, former Akel MP and developer Christakis Giovanis, senior member of staff at the Giovanis Group Antonis Antoniou and lawyer Andreas Pittadjis.

During the most recent hearing, representative of the prosecution Elli Papagapiou said the current case “could not continue” due to the change of the court’s composition.

Pittadjis is the only defendant to have entered a plea so far, pleading not guilty. Though his hearing was scheduled for September 7, this was cancelled on Wednesday due to the case being temporarily thrown out.

The trial began based on the findings of the Nicolatos investigation into the citizenship-by-investment scheme, prompted by the airing of a report by the Al Jazeera network.