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Testimony continued Tuesday in the high-profile case sparked by Al Jazeera’s 2020 Cyprus Papers investigation, with a police sergeant detailing evidence suggesting political interference and irregularities in the naturalization of foreign investors.
The hearing, overseen by prosecutor Harris Karaolidou, focused on evidence gathered from the mobile phone of defendant Christakis Giovani, including photos and videos showing foreign nationals at his residence in Paralimni. Among them was Nikolay Gornovskiy, one of the naturalized investors under investigation.
Three videos shown in court appeared to feature then-House Speaker Demetris Syllouris, Giovani, and associates alongside foreign investors. Metadata confirmed at least one recording was made in June 2019, after Gornovskiy had already been granted citizenship, despite claims his investment funds were transferred only months later.
The investigation began in October 2020 following the airing of Al Jazeera’s undercover documentary, which featured both defendants and raised allegations of corruption in the country’s passport-by-investment scheme. The Crime Investigation Department was instructed to examine whether naturalizations were granted unlawfully.
According to the witness, officials found a “reservation agreement” signed by Giovani and lawyer Andreas Pittadjis, Gornovskiy’s representative, stating the investor wouldn’t need to travel to Cyprus and could cancel the agreement if his exception request was denied.
A particularly scrutinized document showed a medical certificate attached to Gornovskiy’s application, faxed from the office of the Speaker of Parliament. The witness said testimony and metadata tied the action to Maria Savva, Syllouris’s assistant, who admitted to making calls and sending documents under his instruction.
Savva testified that Syllouris used his position to expedite certain applications, often on behalf of friends and relatives, including Giovani and former son-in-law Savvas Pogiatjis. She also acknowledged frequent contact with Interior Ministry officials regarding application statuses.
Additional testimonies included that of service provider Nikitas Charalambous, who confirmed handling a case involving an investor’s daughter whose application was also linked to Pogiatjis. Ministry officials reported repeated calls from the Speaker’s office pressing for updates.
The witness affirmed that all evidence was lawfully obtained and preserved. Court proceedings will resume Thursday, May 15, at 10 a.m.
