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Media Names 77 Former Citizens in Cyprus CIP Revocation List, 20 More to Come · IMI Podcasts

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Politis newspaper has published a list of 77 citizenship by investment program participants who lost their citizenship, revealing names the Interior Ministry had previously refused to disclose.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: The list includes PAFOS FC owner Sergei Lomakin and brings total revocations to 286.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: Last month, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioanu rejected MP Alexandra Attalidis' parliamentary request to identify revoked citizens, citing data protection and ongoing investigations.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: The ministry had confirmed 86 revocations between September 2013 and August 2024, but maintained that disclosing names could compromise police and anti-corruption authority investigations.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: The list names naturalized investors, their family members, and the service providers who processed these applications.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: High-profile cases include Malaysian financier Joe Lowe, multiple Russian investors, and Roman Kazimir Zemian, who lost his citizenship following an August 17 arrest in Montenegro.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: Zemian, who changed his family's surname to Hortman after receiving citizenship in 2019, faces international warrants over alleged involvement in a$21 million digital currency fraud.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: Lomakin, who lives in Paphos, lost his citizenship alongside other investors who violated program conditions.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: For Paphos FC General Manager Harris Theo Harous, this remains a personal matter beyond public discussion.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: Under Article 113 of current legislation, 20 additional investors await potential citizenship cancellation pending criminal proceedings in their home countries.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: These cases involve charges of corruption, conspiracy, tax evasion, money laundering, and participation in illegal gambling operations.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: The investigation revealed widespread noncompliance with property requirements.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: The Council of Ministers mandated annual certificates proving construction progress and completion of investment properties.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: Many investors never submitted these certificates, while others sold their properties and left Cyprus after securing citizenship.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: According to Interior Minister Constantinos Patridis, the program's initial shortcomings stemmed from an absence of proper screening protocols.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_00: It was a mistake not to have criteria for high-risk persons, acknowledging the systemic failures that led to the current crisis.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: A 2021 government probe found that 51% of the 6,779 citizenships granted between 2007 and 2020 went to unqualified applicants.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: Investigators uncovered systemic issues, including conflicts of interest, influence peddling, and fraudulent property agreements.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: The revocation appeals process runs through the Committee for Examination of Citizenship Deprivation, led by a legal service representative, and includes the Accountant General and Director General of the Ministry of Justice and Public Order.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: Investors can challenge unfavorable committee decisions in court, where a favorable ruling could restore their citizenship.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: The Nicosia Criminal Court has scheduled several related trials for early 2025, including proceedings against former House Speaker Dimitris Solores and former Transport Minister Marios Dimetriades, who faces over 50 corruption-related charges.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: The investigation now includes allegations against former President Anastasiades's administration.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: The ministry continues examining additional cases, and officials expect more revocations as new evidence surfaces.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: This episode first appeared as an article by Amada Bas on IMIDAily.com.
• 3:45
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