Cyprus House speaker quits over citizenship for sale scandal

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cyprus’ parliamentary speaker has resigned after an undercover news report allegedly caught him on tape promising to help circumvent the country's rules on granting citizenship to foreign investors.

Demetris Syllouris had initially decided to stay on as speaker but abstain from his duties until investigations ran their course.

Syllouris, who had a 28-year record of service as a lawmaker, said Thursday he had not wanted to quit because it would appear as if he was guilty.

“I maintain my resolute conviction that I did not violate the law in any way,” he said in a statement.

The scandal erupted after news outlet Al Jazeera’s investigative unit used hidden cameras to show Syllouris and others promising to a man posing as a representative for the Chinese investor to find ways of skirting Cyprus's rules on buying citizenship.

Under Cyprus's “golden passport” program, a foreigner can get citizenship by investing at least 2.5 million euros ($2.93 million) in the country. Such programs, which exist in several small EU countries, have raised broad concern about money laundering and other crimes.

In the news report, Syllouris allegedly agreed to help the fictitious Chinese man even though he had a money laundering conviction against him.

The report caused a public outcry and the Cypriot government announced that the “golden passport” program would be scrapped on Nov. 1.

The sting also implicated a veteran lawmaker, a high-profile lawyer, real estate agents and others.

The lawmaker, Christakis Giovanis, on Tuesday resigned his parliamentary seat and quit his duties as a member of the communist-rooted AKEL party.

Giovanis and lawyer Andreas Pittadjis strongly denied the allegations, saying they were fully aware that the whole thing was...