The government said on Thursday it does not comment on isolated cases concerning the investment-for-citizenship programme after it emerged that close relatives of Cambodia’s leader acquired Cypriot passports under the scheme.
An article by Reuters on Wednesday reported that eight family members or allies of the Cambodian leader, including the country’s police chief who has been instrumental in clamping down on dissent in Cambodia, and its finance minister, received Cypriot citizenship in 2016 and 2017, raising eyebrows as to the procedures followed by the government in granting passports to third country nationals.
The interior ministry on Thursday, after listing the criteria for granting citizenships to investors from third countries, said: “The government’s policy is not to publicly comment on isolated cases.”
