In a major development related to the now-defunct Golden Passports scheme, Antonis Antoniou, a senior lawyer and former employee of the Giovani Group, was officially acquitted of all charges this week. The charges were linked to alleged illegal naturalisations exposed by the Al Jazeera “Cyprus Papers Undercover” documentary.
The acquittal followed the prosecution’s decision to suspend the charges, after a key witness, Anthony Kay, refused to testify. In a written statement submitted to the court, Kay stated that he “did not see and was not aware of any offence” involving Antoniou—contradicting earlier claims made during the investigation.
The case against Antoniou heavily relied on testimonies from both Kay and Al Jazeera journalist Sarah Yeo, who also declined to appear in court. As a result, the Attorney General suspended two major charges, and Antoniou was cleared.
Meanwhile, legal proceedings continue against former House President Demetris Syllouris and ex-MP Christakis Giovanis, who face serious accusations including conspiracy to subvert the Republic and attempting to improperly influence public officials.
Originally, the case included four defendants. Lawyer Andreas Pittadjis, known for his controversial “This is Cyprus” comment in the documentary, was acquitted in 2023 and later served as Antoniou’s legal counsel.
The case stems from Al Jazeera’s 2020 exposé, which featured undercover reporters posing as agents for a fictitious criminal seeking Cypriot citizenship. Despite the obvious red flags, key public figures appeared willing to assist with the application—sparking widespread backlash.
Following the revelations, Cyprus terminated its citizenship-by-investment programme in November 2020. The European Commission later initiated infringement procedures, citing systemic abuse of the scheme. An official report revealed that over 50% of the 6,779 naturalisations under the programme were improperly granted, largely due to weak due diligence.
The government has since begun revoking passports that were issued illegally.
Antoniou’s acquittal represents a pivotal moment in the ongoing legal saga, though the broader investigation into corruption and misuse of power in Cyprus continues.