New evidence, including photos and videos, was submitted Monday at the Nicosia Criminal Court in the trial related to Cyprus’s controversial citizenship-by-investment scheme, as exposed in the Al Jazeera documentary. The material reportedly shows the defendants in both social and formal settings with individuals of Chinese origin.

A police sergeant confirmed during cross-examination that the investigation into leaked government documents, which began before the documentary aired in 2020, has been closed without charges. Defense lawyers challenged the relevance of the photo and video evidence, and questioned the credibility of claims made in the documentary, including the status of one man labeled as a fugitive.

Meanwhile, the court approved a prosecution request to hear a key witness from the UK via video link due to medical reasons. The defense raised concerns about his reliability, but the judge ruled the testimony could proceed in the interest of justice.

The trial will continue on February 10 with instructions for the remote testimony.