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61. Cyprus’ landmark sex trafficking case falls flat

A high-profile trafficking case where airport police officers were accused of turning a blind eye on an illegal prostitution ring drew to a close this week, with most defendants acquitted including a cop whose guilt was not proven beyond a reasonable doubt...

62. Panzeri to be let off after agreeing to name names

Belgium’s federal prosecutor said on Tuesday that former Italian member of the European Parliament Pier Antonio Panzeri agreed to work with Belgian authorities over a cash-for-influence corruption scandal in exchange for a reduced sentence...

63. The fall

The tale of Eva Kaili is a metaphor for the glitzy, quick ascent to power in politics and the ultimate fall from grace brought on by dishonesty. After all, a corrupt politician is one who has been bribed by the state or a private individual....

64. Missing link in Qatargate broached in Cyprus

A lawmaker and transparency advocate in Cyprus is calling on a Cypriot MEP to clarify earlier comments about his Greek colleague Eva Kaili, who remains in custody in connection with a corruption probe in the European parliament...

65. Qatargate: Kaili's partner confesses and names names

Eva Kaili's husband, Francesco Giorgi, admitted his involvement in the Qatargate scandal, according to Le Soir and La Repubblica....

66. Kaili’s lawyer drops hint about Italian job

There is conflicting information about a corruption investigation in the European Parliament following the arrest of a Greek former VP, with media reports speculating she was being detained in connection with Qatar while her lawyer is pointing the finger squarely at her Italian fellow suspects including her male partner...

67. The EU faces a difficult case

The Kaili case is the latest in a string of setbacks. The clumsy (at best) handling of the wiretaps, the Ark revelations, the new episode of excessive police violence, and now the alleged bribery scandal in the European Parliament (EP) are all causing consternation and sadness....

68. MEP Eva Kaili fires back from jail cell

An attorney for EU lawmaker Eva Kaili, who is accused of being involved in an alleged bribery scandal involving a Gulf state, says money found in his client’s Brussels home did not belong to her, while a Cypriot MEP says he was troubled by her colleague’s stance towards Turkey’s ally Qatar...

69. More than €1.5 million in cash seized from Kaili - Panzeri

More than €1.5 million in cash was seized from the homes of Eva Kaili and former MEP Pierre Antonio Panzeri in Brussels, according to Belgian police....

70. Eva Kaili's expulsion from office unanimously approved

The Conference of Presidents unanimously decided to remove Eva Kaili from her position as one of the 14 vice presidents of the European Parliament in the aftermath of the bribery scandal involving Qatar....

71. EU lawmaker denies taking bribes from Qatar

European Parliament Vice President Eva Kaili, a suspect in an investigation into money laundering and corruption at the parliament, has denied receiving money from Qatar, one of her lawyers said in Greece on Tuesday...

72. Crypto world shaken as Europe arrests MEP

The arrest of MEP Eva Kaili on corruption charges involving a Gulf state has sparked media frenzy over the weekend, with Qatar refuting reports that the world cup host is involved while Belgian officials have not named the country that allegedly attempted to bribe the crypto ally...

73. EU Parliament VP suspended on serious corruption charges

The Belgian judiciary has arrested four people as part of an investigation into a corruption case involving bribery from Qatar, while two others have been released....

74. Cyprus’ senator friend under criminal investigation

Cyprus friend Bob Menendez is once again under federal criminal investigation, with the news coming just days after the senator’s plan to block Turkey from getting F-16 jets was undone...

75. Spain gave 'golden visa' to former Mexican president being investigated for corruption

The Spanish authorities have finally confirmed that the former Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, who is being investigated by Mexico’s attorney general’s office for alleged money laundering, illicit enrichment, and illegal international transfers, is a legal resident of the country....

76. EU survey: Bribery still rife in health services

At least one out of eight people who visited a health service in Greece recently had to make an under-the-table payment, known as a “fakelaki,” or “small envelope,” according to recent data....

77. Majority of Cypriots believe corruption is rampant in the country

A total of 94% of respondents in a special Eurobarometer published by the European Commission on Wednesday believe that the problem of corruption is widespread in the country....

78. Legal chaos after president commutes life sentence

Critics in the world of justice in Cyprus are crying foul after the President offered clemency to a man whose life sentence early in an Ayia Napa quadruple murder trial made him a credible state witness who helped put away other defendants...

79. Migrant citizenship racket in Greece busted

An investigating magistrate in the northern port city of Thessaloniki has received the findings of a police investigation into some 60 suspects for their role in an extensive bribery racket aimed at expediting the issuance or renewal of residence permits and facilitating the granting of citizenship to migrants....

80. Historic leak of Swiss banking records reveals unsavory clients

Despite two decades of pledges by Credit Suisse to crack down on illegitimate funds, data leaked from the bank reveals that it catered to dozens of criminals, dictators, intelligence officials, sanctioned parties and political actors with outsized wealth....

81. Cyprus scores low on public sector corruption

The Republic of Cyprus was at a historic low in terms of perceived levels of corruption in the public sector, according to figures released this week by Transparency International...

82. Damning State Dep. report highlights Cyprus human rights issues

A US State Department country report on human rights practices in 2020 proved damning for Cyprus which was found to have had significant human rights issues last year....

83. Al Jazeera strikes again at Cyprus Papers

Al Jazeera’s investigative unit struck again on Monday with new Cyprus Papers material, involving a report accompanied by a one-hour video depicting undercover reporters who visited Cyprus and posed as representatives of an imaginary ultrarich investor, Mr X, who was convicted for palm-greasing and money laundering, to ‘test’ whether local authorities would still be willing accept his hefty investment and provide him with Cypriot citizenship....

84. Judge Ankara by its actions not its words

Michael Rubin, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, favors a less sympathetic approach on Turkey, arguing ad hoc partnerships can put pressure on Ankara to come around...

85. Politics turn ugly over Cyprus Papers

The main left party opposition in the Republic of Cyprus is firing back at the government, after reports emerged over threats and a confidential letter about Cypriot golden passports a decade earlier...

86. Football and Money Laundering

It has been identified years back at European and global level, that sports and especially football is being used by criminals to launder dirty money and derive illegal income...

87. President’s air travel under scrutiny

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades is firing back at critics saying his use of a private jet owned by a Saudi billionaire has actually saved the state a lot of money, while opposition parties raise fears of dependency and quid pro quo with foreign donors...

88. Financier's Cypriot passport rocks the boat

A well-known Malaysian financier wanted by authorities in several countries appears to have obtained a Cypriot passport following recommendations from Archbishop Chrysostomos who cited investment opportunities...

89. MAP S.Platis joins forces with global firm FTI Consulting

90. The new government, image and symbolism

The first indications from the new government are sending out all the right signals. Tuesday’s handover ceremonies at the ministries confirmed a return to normalcy, after a decade-long crisis that painfully divided the country. Both sides should be given credit for the civilized political discourse that prevailed during the change of guard. It is hoped that this spirit will continue during the debates that are expected to take place in Parliament, not only in the sense of a more sophisticated rhetoric, but also, hopefully, in the approval of some government bills by the new main opposition....