A major corruption trial in Cyprus has a date for its judgment. The Nicosia Criminal Court plans to announce its decision on February 17, 2026. This important case involves two former politicians. They are Demetris Syllouris and Christakis Giovanis.
Both men face serious charges. They are accused of planning to cheat the state. They also face charges of misusing their official positions. These accusations come from an Al Jazeera investigation in 2020. The investigation showed problems with Cyprus's "golden passport" program. This program was very profitable. The trial is seen as very important for Cyprus. It happened after the "golden passport" program was stopped.
The prosecution says Mr. Syllouris helped people get Cypriot citizenship unfairly. He was the President of the House of Representatives. They say he sped up applications for people who did not meet the rules. This action, they believe, broke important laws. The prosecution claims senior officials cheated the state.
However, the defense says the trial is unfair. They call it an "abuse of process." They are unhappy that a lawyer, Andreas Pittadjis, was not called as a witness. They think this makes the trial unfair. Prosecutor Charis Karaolidou disagrees. She called the defense's arguments "absurd." She said they were trying to make the case look unjust.
There is also a question about a possible conflict of interest. The Law Office of Cyprus is in charge of the prosecution. The defense pointed out that Deputy Attorney General Savvas Angelides was involved before. He was a minister when citizenship applications were approved. This could affect his ability to be impartial. The prosecution said that cabinet decisions were sometimes based on wrong information. They also said important financial details were hidden.
The Al Jazeera report in 2020 surprised Cyprus. It showed possible corruption in the citizenship program. The program was stopped immediately. The trial will show how committed Cyprus is to being open and honest. The defense wants to show the prosecution's evidence is weak. The prosecution wants to find justice for what they say was a betrayal of national trust. The court's decision will have a big effect on Cyprus.