The substantive hearing for the criminal case related to both the Al Jazeera investigation and the controversial fast-track naturalization of foreign investors and entrepreneurs, as outlined in the Nicolatos Commission report, is set to proceed on January 13, 2025.

The defendants in the case are former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Demetris Syllouris, former MP, Christakis Giovani, and one of Giovani's company's senior executives, Antonis Antoniou. All three face charges of conspiracy to defraud the Republic and influencing a public official in violation of the law ratifying the Council of Europe Convention on the Criminalization of Corruption.

On Monday, the defendants appeared before the Permanent Criminal Court of Nicosia, which granted another postponement of the proceedings after the prosecution reported that the delivery of the evidence list to the defense was still pending. The prosecution assured the court that the list would be provided within ten days.

Additionally, the court decided that on December 16, 2024, the defendants will again appear for procedural planning purposes. The next session is scheduled for 9:30 a.m.

During today's hearing, the defense lawyers indicated their willingness to admit certain facts to expedite the proceedings. It was noted in court that the defense plans to admit at least half of the witnesses, i.e., 16 out of the 32. The defendants will attend the next hearing under the same conditions.

It is also worth recalling that lawyer Andreas Pittadjis, who was one of the accused, was acquitted of all charges on October 11, 2023. The case will now continue in court, with Andreas Pittadjis acting as the legal representative of defendant Antonis Antoniou.