Cyprus to strip 26 foreign investors of citizenships after passport uproar

Cyprus said on Wednesday that it had started a process to strip 26 individuals of citizenship they received under a secretive passports-for-investment scheme, admitting it had flaws.

The Mediterranean island has been rattled by disclosures of its investments scheme since Reuters exclusively reported last month a list of Cambodian beneficiaries, including its police chief and finance minister.

Rescinding citizenship is highly unusual, and the move came after authorities began an investigation following the report.

"The Council of Ministers today affirmed the will of the government for strict adherence to the terms and conditions of the Cyprus investment programme," Cypriot Interior Minister Constantinos Petrides told reporters after a four-hour cabinet meeting.

Petrides did not disclose nationalities or identities of those affected, but said it "also...