The 59-page report of the three-member committee contains names and details of persons who practically payed their way into the Cypriot citizenship by purchasing overpriced real estate and making sizable donations of questionable nature.
"The committee has concluded the checks and inquiry into 29 cases regarding which the process of citizenship revocation was initiated. Additionally, the committee reviewed several cases referred to it by the Ministry of the Interior", the committee said, adding that "of 42 reviewed cases, all but two — involving seven individuals — were compliant with the standard naturalisation criteria."
The committee recommended immediately revoking the citizenship of those who provided false or incomplete data during the naturalisation.
Commenting on the report's release, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades expressed grave concerns about the attempts to discredit the country's institutions and authorities by dishonest practices.
The committee was established in October 2019 following an investigative report by Al Jazeera which criticised Cyprus now-terminated programme of citizenship in exchange for investments over practically selling passports to criminals.
