Ex-Transport Minister and associates headed for trial

Former Transport Minister Marios Demetriades and nine other individuals, including his relatives and two companies, are set for trial in Cyprus’ top court on charges linked to the controversial Cyprus Investment Programme (CIP). The case centers on alleged corruption in the naturalization process, involving high-profile allegations of bribery, money laundering, and influence peddling.

The defendants, scheduled to appear in Cyprus's High Court on Jan. 16, 2025, face a total of 59 charges. The accusations range from conspiracy to defraud and bribery to violating the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption convention.

Among those charged are Demetriades' family members, including Andreas, Dimitris, and George Demetriades, Eleni Simillidi as well as their family-owned law firm, Andreas Demetriades & Co LLC. Also implicated are Delsk (Cyprus) Business Services Ltd., a foreign national Jing Wang, and Josef Friedrich Santin and Vasiliki Georgiou-Santin.

To ensure their court appearance, the prosecution has required several defendants to provide financial guarantees. Marios, Andreas, Dimitris, and George Demetriades each signed guarantees of €100,000, while Simillidi agreed to a €60,000 guarantee. Wang paid €100,000 in cash, while Santin and Georgiou-Santin posted a €100,000 guarantee each.

The case, officially filed with the Nicosia District Court in September, marks a major step in a long-standing probe into CIP-related naturalizations. All defendants remain free pending trial and are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.