**Demetriades Co-Defendants Deny 25 New Charges in Golden Passport Case**
In a significant development in the ongoing golden passport case, four defendants, including former transport minister Marios Demetriades, appeared in the Nicosia permanent criminal court on Tuesday to deny 25 new charges that have been added to the indictment. The case has garnered considerable attention due to its implications regarding corruption and the controversial golden passport scheme in Cyprus.
Defence lawyer Elias Stefanou represented the four defendants, who are part of a larger group of ten individuals and companies facing a variety of charges related to the golden passport program. During the court proceedings, Stefanou informed the court that his team had reached out to prosecutors the previous Thursday for clarification on the new charges but had only received a response the day before the hearing. Despite this delay, he noted that his clients were prepared to respond to the charges immediately, emphasizing their willingness to not prolong the proceedings unnecessarily.
However, Stefanou requested an interim hearing to determine whether the prosecution's recent reply should be considered binding or if it could be addressed at a later date. State lawyer Haris Karaolidou countered this request by asserting that the defendants already had sufficient information to understand the charges against them. Karaolidou explained that any perceived lack of specificity in the charges was a result of the legal framework governing the case, rather than an absence of detail.
The newly added charges primarily relate to allegations of money laundering and involve transactions made by three investors. This aspect of the case has been described by Stefanou as "completely different in nature" from the other charges outlined in the indictment. Prosecutors maintain that these additional charges are interconnected with the events already detailed in the initial indictment and are supported by evidence that is already available to them.
The court also addressed a request from the prosecution to summon three additional witnesses to testify in the case. This request was granted, further extending the complexity of the proceedings. The total number of defendants in this case now includes eight individuals and two companies, all of whom face a range of serious charges, including influence peddling, bribery, extortion, conspiracy to defraud, VAT fraud, and money laundering.
As the legal proceedings continue, the court has scheduled an interim hearing for next Friday, with the trial set to formally commence on October 19. The case remains a focal point of public interest as it unfolds, highlighting ongoing concerns about corruption and governance within the context of Cyprus's controversial citizenship-by-investment program.