Andreas Pittatzis acquitted, now serving as counsel for defendant

In a recent legal proceeding involving a criminal case related to the Al Jazeera media network's reporting and events associated with the exceptional naturalization of foreign investors and entrepreneurs, a significant development has occurred. According to statements made in the Criminal Court, one of the defendants, attorney Andreas Pittatzis, has been acquitted of the charges against him.

The case will now continue with three remaining defendants in front of the judicial chamber: Dimitris Sylouris, Christakis Tziovanis, and Antonis Antoniou.

Following his removal from the list of defendants, Mr. Pittatzis has requested to serve as the legal representative of Antonis Antoniou, a request that has been approved by the three-judge panel.

"I've been dealing with this case for three years; I will be dealing with it a little longer," noted Andreas Pittatzis during his request for representation of Antoniou. Additionally, defense attorneys for Dimitris Sylouris and Christakis Tziovanis have expressed their intention to raise preliminary objections, with the hearing scheduled for November 14 at 09:00.

It is essential to recall that the Nicosia Criminal Court had previously suspended this particular criminal case in June, only for it to be subsequently reinstated. The case was initially initiated in July 2022 in the Nicosia District Court with the intent of referring it to the Criminal Court.

The investigation, ordered by Attorney General Georgios Savvides after the revelations made in Al Jazeera's video, lasted for over a year and extended beyond national borders, with statements and evidence collected internationally.

Furthermore, thousands of electronic messages discovered on the computers of the four accused individuals were examined. The public release of the controversial video by Al Jazeera in October 2020 led to the withdrawal of the Cyprus Investment Program by the government.