Anti-corruption watchdog keeps lone ‘golden passport’ case open as other complaints against ex-minister Angelides are dismissed

The long-running fallout from Cyprus’ now-defunct Citizenship-by-Investment Programme (CIP) continued on 16 September when newspaper Politis reported that the Anti-Corruption Authority has closed eight of nine complaints filed against former defence minister and current assistant attorney-general Savvas Angelides. The sole remaining case concerns alleged conflicts of interest linked to the ‘golden passport’ scheme. According to documents first submitted in 2022 by the auditor-general and opposition MP Christos Christofides, Angelides allegedly approved CIP applications submitted by a Nicosia law firm where he had previously been a partner and where his spouse is employed. Investigators will examine whether he failed to recuse himself from Cabinet decisions that directly benefited the firm’s investor clients. Six complaints—ranging from military pension decisions to prosecution suspensions—were rejected after preliminary examination. Two others, including claims of false asset declarations, were referred to other bodies and subsequently closed for lack of investigative mechanism. The narrowed focus suggests the authority aims to conclude the politically sensitive probe before the end of the year. Why it matters for global mobility: while Cyprus scrapped its CIP in 2020 and formally repealed enabling legislation in 2025, roughly 360 passports have already been revoked and dozens more remain under review. Ongoing scrutiny keeps reputational risk alive for employers who previously encouraged executives to use the scheme. Companies should re-audit any staff holding Cypriot investment passports and be prepared to manage potential loss of citizenship rights if further revocations follow. The case also signals that Cyprus is serious about remediation ahead of EU anti-money-laundering evaluations. Firms should expect tighter due-diligence checks on residence and business-immigration applications, even for straightforward work-permit renewals.