What does the Presidential Palace have to say on “Haravgi” newspaper’s revelations?

AKEL on Anastasiades’ involvement in the “golden passport” scheme issue

Statement by AKEL C.C. Spokesperson Stefanos Stefanou

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 8 February 2019, Nicosia

President Anastasiades said in an interview on ANT1 that “if there is any involvement in the passport scheme issue I will go to court or/and even step down.” We really wonder what the President means when he talks about involvement, obviously meaning interwoven interests.

The President is concerned by the fact that Cyprus is being accused by the European Commission, the OECD, Transparency International and others for granting “golden passports”, serving interwoven interests and of corruption, and the law firm that bears his surname is one of those issuing “golden passports”? Does the President adopt the well-known saying that it is not enough for Caesar’s wife to appear honest, but must be honest too?

In truth, how does the President reply to what the newspaper “Haravgi” reveals today that the Ministerial Cabinet is granting citizenship to the ninth richest Russian and he is buying the tower built by the son-in-law of Nikos Anastasiades? Is this or is this not considered interwoven interests?

The phrase the President of the Republic used to defend himself by saying that “they want to dethrone me” possibly reveals how he perceives his relationship with the Presidential Chair – only that people’s general feelings are that on the passports issue too, “The Emperor Has No Clothes”.