Following Monday’s news that a Golden Passport trial had been delayed, a second trial has been delayed until 18 March after defence lawyers asked for more time to prepare.
The accused in this second trial include former Transport Minister Marios Demetriades, some of his family members, and people linked to their family’s law firm, which handled the citizenship applications.
There are ten defendants in total – eight people and two companies – facing 59 charges. These include bribery, extortion, conspiracy, money laundering, and breaking European anti-corruption rules. The accused are Marios, Andreas, Dimitris, and Giorgos Demetriades, Eleni Simillidi, Jing Wang, Josef Friedrich Santin, Vasiliki Georgiou-Santin, and the companies Andreas Demetriades & Co LLC and Delsk (Cyprus) Business Services Ltd.
Extra time for the defence
At the recent hearing, defence lawyers asked for more time to prepare. They said the evidence provided by prosecutors was extensive, and they had just received new material that day. The court agreed to the request, giving them time to review the evidence. At the next hearing, the accused will have to enter a plea.
Bail terms
Until the trial resumes, all defendants can stay free under their current bail conditions. To ensure they attend the hearing, the court set high financial guarantees. Marios, Andreas, Dimitris, and Giorgos Demetriades must each provide €100,000 personal guarantees, while Eleni Simillidi needs €60,000. Jing Wang must pay €100,000 in cash. Josef Friedrich Santin and Vasiliki Georgiou-Santin also signed €100,000 guarantees.
Case background
The case was officially filed at the Nicosia District Court on 27 September 2024. It focuses on claims of misuse of the Cyprus Investment Program, which offered Cypriot citizenship to wealthy people who made large financial investments.
Innocent until proven guilty
All the defendants are considered innocent unless proven guilty in court. The charges and evidence will be fully examined when the trial continues in March.
This case has drawn a lot of attention, highlighting concerns about corruption and loopholes in Cyprus’ citizenship-by-investment program.
Investigation into other corruption claims nearing completion
Anti-corruption investigators are nearing the end of their investigation into claims made in the book Mafia State by Makarios Drousiotis, with fewer than 100 witnesses left to speak.
Former President Nicos Anastasiades is one of those yet to give evidence. The hearings are expected to finish by spring, after which a final report will be prepared.
The investigation, which began in April 2024, has already heard from over 100 people. Transparency Commissioner and head of the Independent Authority Against Corruption, Haris Pogiatzis expects the findings to be ready by the end of May.
Former President Nicos Anastasiades has strongly denied all accusations in written statements and interviews and has taken legal action against the author.
