Cyprus opened an independent investigation Friday into the program of granting Cypriot citizenship to investors, after accusations of criminals exploiting this program, according to the audit office on the Mediterranean island.
The Cyprus investigation comes after an investigative investigation broadcast by Al-Jazeera last week, in which it revealed that dozens of those who applied to obtain "golden passports" are subject to criminal investigations, international sanctions, or are serving prison sentences.
The investigative investigation unit on the island had obtained government documents confirming the approval of the Cyprus authorities to 1,400 applications allowing convicted criminals in their countries, or fugitives. The right to obtain a passport, after investing at least 2.15 million euros (2.6 million dollars) in the country.
The approvals granted to them are based on the Cyprus Investment Program, which allowed citizens of more than 30 countries to obtain passports, and in return allowed the government of the Greek part of Cyprus to reap billions of dollars as a result of the sale of its nationality.
The investigation unit on the island studied applications submitted by more than 2,500 people between 2017 and 2019 to obtain Cyprus citizenship as part of the investment program, and discovered that many of these requests violate the controls set by the state to obtain Cypriot citizenship.
Cypriot Interior Minister Nikos Norris described the Al Jazeera report as "propaganda" aimed at harming Cyprus politically and economically.
The audit office - backed by the state but independent - declared in a statement on Friday that an investigation was necessary due to the distortion of the passport program after the Al Jazeera report.
The statement added that "the audit office is an independent institution that can respond credibly to complaints and allegations against the program, allocate responsibilities and take corrective measures, or preserve the reputation of the republic."
Cyprus - a member of the European Union - began granting passports in exchange for investments in 2013, in the wake of the economic crisis, but it faced pressure from Brussels to make reforms after fears that organized crime gangs would exploit the program to infiltrate the countries of the Union.
In February 2019, Nicosia updated its criteria for obtaining citizenship, and imposed what it described as stricter measures.
The audit office said that it would initially investigate granting citizenship after making amendments to the investment program.
The Al-Jazeera investigation - which was based on leaked documents - stated that thousands of wealthy Russians, many of whom have strong ties to the Kremlin, in addition to 500 Chinese citizens and some wealthy Arabs; All of them are willing to pay millions of dollars to obtain a European passport, stressing that Cyprus sold people of 74 nationalities between 2017 and 2019.
Nicosia insisted that the allegations date back to an earlier era before restrictions on the program were tightened, and that those who Al Jazeera reported to have obtained a passport met the requirements at the time and had no criminal record.