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1. International inspectors hired for 'Golden Passports' probe

According to a report on Philenews, the Independent Authority Against Corruption has recruited two "inspection officers" who will be compensated with approximately €1,150 per day for their crucial role in the ongoing investigation surrounding the controversial 'golden passports' issue....

2. Burisma owner may have Bidens on tape

Shocking revelations in Washington suggest the owner of Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company registered in Cyprus, said he had secretly recorded phone conservations with Joe Biden as 'insurance policy' while accusations continue to build up against the FBI for redacting crucial information from a document alleging bribery and corruption...

3. Commissioner in Cyprus to probe Russian asset freeze

Commissioner Reynders will request information on the total value of the assets of 'Russian oligarchs' in Cyprus that have been frozen by the authorities he told Cyprus News Agency in an interview, noting that so far, according to official figures 104 million euros in assets have been frozen, which is considered a low amount...

4. New brand of politics day after election in Cyprus

Former Anastasiades-cabinet member Nikos Christodoulides won the runoff presidential election on Sunday in the Republic of Cyprus, sporting a new brand of politics and vowing to form a government with 'broad social acceptance'...

5. Cyprus starts golden passport trial with a paradox

A defense attorney in the golden passport trial set to begin next month raised a conflict of interest on Monday, when his client and former House speaker along with three other defendants appeared for their arraignment before a Nicosia district judge...

6. Conflict of interest raised again in passport probe

The audit office in the Republic of Cyprus is sending all its findings on golden passports to the state’s anti-corruption agency, citing a conflict of interest for the state’s two chief law enforcement officers who served as ministers during the investment scandal...

7. Ukraine crisis stains church elections in Cyprus

A Cypriot theologian has blown the lid off the game of thrones in archbishopric elections on the island, suggesting anti-Russia agenda is behind efforts to take the vote away from believers who might favor a pro-Moscow candidate in order to task the Holy Synod with naming the winner...

8. Supreme Court settles golden passports legal saga

The Supreme Court in the Republic of Cyprus says a Parliament attempt last year to restrict the attorney general's role in a golden passport probe outcome was unconstitutional, after lawmakers had raised conflicts of interest for the state's chief law enforcer and his deputy...

9. Nicosia reacts to new Al Jazeera video

Nicosia has refuted allegations concerning a Cypriot minister and his trips to London, in reaction to an Al Jazeera secret investigation into how convicted criminals could take on new identities and launder money through ownership of English football clubs by deceiving authorities...

10. Anastasiades feels vindicated by passport probe

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades says a final report on the island’s disgraced golden passport scheme has alleged no deceit on his part, with the commander in chief apologizing for mistakes made under his administration which he attributed to lack of regulations and oversight over the years...

11. Legal defends blacked out passport report

The Legal department in the Republic of Cyprus has issued its final report on golden passports, but its decision to include privacy issues as a reason to black out information has come under media scrutiny...

12. Cyprus’ passport committee issues final report

Over half of the golden passports approved by the President’s Cabinet in the Republic of Cyprus were illegal, a special committee has found, and it is now up to the attorney general to ascertain whether any ministers may have had fraudulent intent...

13. Legal battle heats up in golden passports

The top two chief law enforcers in the Republic of Cyprus are taking the parliament to court over a resolution, in which members called on the two officials to recuse themselves in the golden passport probe after raising conflict of interest issues...

14. Syllouris declines questions in passport probe

A former Cypriot parliamentary speaker secretly filmed in an expose on a now discredited cash-for-passports scheme declined to answer questions on Wednesday into his role in a scandal which rocked the island nation...

15. Stars in Al Jazeera video face committee

16. Director wants passport probe clear his name

A civil servant, whose name was dropped by the former House speaker during a secret video recording by Al Jazeera, says he did not get involved with golden passports during his tenure as director of the interior ministry, vowing to take legal action if an investigative committee failed to clear his name...

17. Interim report on golden passports delivered

An interim report on the golden passport scandal in the Republic of Cyprus says just over half of citizenships granted by the executive branch were not approved lawfully...

18. Jiu Jitsu director says Cyprus losing out

The director and producers of martial arts movie Jiu Jitsu sought audience with Cyprus’ finance minister this week over delayed cash rebate payments, with reports saying the film makers are also ticked off by an unflattering audit report on the country’s Olivewood scheme...

19. Gloves are off again over golden passports

Cyprus’ auditor general told a House committee this week that the Cabinet used old rules to approve over two hundred golden passports after the cutoff date for an investigation ordered by the attorney general, who pushed back on the criticism saying there was 'no bottom to the abyss'...

20. Former AG says he cautioned over passports

The state’s former attorney general says his department had cautioned the government years ago that the country’s golden passport scheme might have been incompatible with European law, essentially contradicting the executive branch's position that nobody had said anything...

21. President blames CIP failure on recklessness

Cyprus’ disgraced Citizenship by Investment Programme took a heavy toll after it was 'recklessly promoted' overseas, according to President Nicos Anastasiades, who testified on Tuesday before an independent committee, while telling reporters later that he would not revisit the matter until after probe findings are concluded...

22. Cyprus president testifies on golden passports

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades is expected to testify on Tuesday before the independent committee probing corruption allegations in the country’s golden passport scheme, just days after he lashed out at critics during a national address on the fight against corruption...

23. Teacher ready to sue over Twitter search

A teacher who won an appeal following an unlawful police search, in connection with a Twitter parody account complaint filed by Justice Minister Emily Yiolitis, has vowed to sue the state saying she was targeted because of her activism...

24. President lashes out at critics

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades in a televised address on Thursday rejected allegations of corruption within his office and administration, accusing the opposition and media of singling out his former law firm for being involved with golden passports and appealing on the political parties’ patriotism to support a new strategic plan to fight corruption...

25. 15 law firms being audited for involvement in 'golden passports'

Interesting new details on the involvement of law firms in the island’s disgraced citizenship-by-investment programme were presented before the Investigative Committee by the head of the Cyprus Bar Association, Christos Clerides....

26. Dueling small parties help pass budget

The House in the Republic of Cyprus approved a revision of the government’s 2021 state budget on Thursday, following a month of consultations between the administration and small opposition parties that offered additional amendments to the bill...

27. MPs vote on budget hanging by a thread

The House takes another vote on the state budget on Thursday, with representatives expected to pass the bill narrowly following behind-the-scenes consultations since the first time it was rejected in mid-December...

28. Former FinMin tells passport probe he shares part of blame

Former Finance Minister Harris Georgiades told the independent investigative committee probing the citizenships by exception granted via the Republic’s nixed ‘golden passports’ program that “as a member of the Council of Ministers, I have a portion of the blame”. ...

29. Reporters to sit in on golden passport hearings

A number of reporters will be allowed from now on to attend ongoing probe hearings into alleged corruption in connection with Cyprus’ disgraced Citizenship by Investment Programme, with journalists being asked to commit in advance not to breach data privacy laws...

30. Kalogerou probe fails to impress opposition

The chair of the ad hoc committee that looked into allegations of wrongdoing last year as Cyprus’ golden passports scandal was unfolding defended the choice to go after high profile cases, following criticism from opposition parties that say the focus was too narrow...