A spokesperson for Russian businessman Oleg Deripaska told Sputnik on Wednesday that recent media reports about Cyprus' alleged plans to deprive the tycoon of citizenship were not true
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th November, 2019) A spokesperson for Russian businessman Oleg Deripaska told Sputnik on Wednesday that recent media reports about Cyprus' alleged plans to deprive the tycoon of citizenship were not true.Earlier in the day, the Cypriot newspaper Politis revealed a list of people, including 10 Russian citizens, who are subjected to an investigation into possible illegal acquisition of citizenship. The list includes Deripaska, his son and daughter, among others. It may reportedly take much time for the Cypriot authorities to complete the probe and make a final decision on the issue.
"The information about depriving Oleg Deripaska of the Cypriot citizenship is not true. He [Deripaska] has not received any formal notifications from the Cypriot government about the status of his citizenship," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also expressed concern over the pressure, exerted by the United States on Cyprus to make it join Washington's anti-Russian campaign.
Last April, the United States imposed sanctions on Deripaska, and entities in which he owns stakes, for his alleged links to the Russian government and what Washington referred to as "malign activities."
In January, the sanctions on Deripaska's companies were lifted after the businesses agreed to undertake structural reforms to reduce the mogul's stakes in them.
