AKEL demands findings on golden passports probe be made public
Statement by Eleni Mavrou, AKEL Political Bureau member
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 19th December 2020, Nicosia
The position expressed by the Attorney General Giorgos Savvides yesterday that the final conclusion on the selective granting of citizenship/passports to foreign businessmen and investors will be made public “to the extent that it does not affect the public interest”!! is surprising! The clarification itself that the interim reports will be made public at will, in conjunction with the ongoing obstruction of the Audit Office’s work to carry out its responsibilities, heightens our concern about the Anastasiades-DISY government’s attempts to cover up the scandal of the golden industry it itself set up and operated.
It has already been shown that in the thousands of citizenships granted by the government mistakes haven’t just been made. There is widespread abuse, greed and non-transparency that undermined the program and discredited Cyprus.
People have the right to know the truth and are demanding that those who shamed our country must be held accountable. And transparency is vital for winning back people’s trust in institutions and the state.
It is the investigation committee’s responsibility to help bring to the surface and break up the abscess of interwoven interests and corruption that has been built around the passport sales industry. It will be judged by its contribution towards fulfilling this goal.
