August 2020. The Passport Programme run in Cyprus – “It’s high value for everyone who comes from a country where there’s a lot of dirty money involved”, German MEP Sven Giegold, a strong critic of the programme, told Al Jazeera. “You open a bank account, a business relationship and less questions asked, no visa requirements, easier to get access to get everywhere to travel than if you are from Russia, China or even more doubtful countries.”Since 2013, when the passport programme started, the country has made more than 7 billion euros ($8bn), used to keep afloat the nation’s failing economy. Between 2017 and 2019, the countries with the highest number of people applying were Russia, China and Ukraine. Among the approved applications seen by Al Jazeera was Ukrainian tycoon Mykola Zlochevsky, owner of the giant Burisma energy company. When Zlochevsky bought his Cypriot passport in 2017, he was already under investigation for corruption in his home country.
Aug 2020. The Cyprus Papers Part 3
