The Registrar of Firms and the Bar Affiliation are investigating unusual modifications at a Cypriot firm linked to Intellexa and Predator.
Within the body and the latest US sanctions on people and authorized entities of the Intellexa Group Submitting paperwork after 39 months and putting an official with out his data.
The most recent journalistic revelations concerning the case with the Predator surveillance software program, the well-known Intellexa group that promotes it and the curious variations in a enterprise entity registered with the Registrar of Firms, are already preoccupying competent our bodies in Cyprus.
On the similar time, it’s not excluded that the case will likely be forwarded within the type of a criticism to the Police for investigation. The above outcomes from official info acquired by “F” from the Division of the Comptroller of Firms of Cyprus, but additionally from the Cyprus Bar Affiliation.
Already the competent division of the Republic and the official physique of legal professionals in Cyprus, respectively, are conducting an investigation with the goal of creating whether or not there may be any concern of irregularities/illegalities in relation to administrative service suppliers licensed in Cyprus.
It is because paperwork submitted to the Cypriot firm Santinomo, interconnected with the Intellexa Group and Predator, shortly after the US sanctions towards stated Group, increase questions of legitimacy. Just lately and shortly after the stated American restrictive measures, dated paperwork have been submitted to the stated Cypriot firm, exhibiting modifications in its administrative construction, which have been made 39 months in the past. On the similar time, an official of the identical enterprise entity, declares ignorance concerning the placement of his identify on its board of administrators. These are precisely the 2 factors that make the investigation of the case crucial.
Details and historical past
The occasions that got here to gentle final Wednesday by Inside Story and the “Politis” newspaper, concern modifications made within the Cypriot firm Santinomo Ltd, which has been interconnected with the pursuits of Intellexa. The group of firms in query, whose vary of merchandise contains Predator surveillance software program, was based by Israeli businessman Tal Dilian. The latter had a cycle of actions in Cyprus, as was confirmed within the case with the black van.
Intellexa later moved operations to Greece. The Group was closely concerned within the Greek media in the summertime of 2022, as by then it had turn out to be recognized that by means of the Predator software program, software program an infection assaults have been carried out on the phone units of the Greek journalist, Thanasis Koukakis and the president of PASOK, Nikos Androulakis. Within the case of the previous, actually, it was scientifically established that his phone machine was being monitored with this particular adware (spring of 2022).
The Intellexa Group is again within the highlight for good on the fifth of this month, following new sanctions by the US Division of Protection, OFAC, towards people and firms linked to it. Particularly, restrictions have been imposed on the founder Tal Dilian, his alleged associate and shut affiliate Sara Alexandra Hamou, in addition to the businesses of pursuits of the previous, Cytrox AD (based mostly in Skopje), CYTROX HOLDINGS ZARTKORUEN MUKODO RESZVENYTARSASAG (Hungary), INTELLEXA LIMITED (Eire). , INTELLEXA SA (Greece) and THALESTRIS LIMITED (Eire).
Santinomo and Bitzios
The curious factor on this case has to do with the position of the Cypriot Santinomo Ltd, which owns 35% of the Greek Intellexa SA, which in flip is included within the “black lists” of the US Departments of Commerce and Finance. A central position in Santinomo is proven to be performed by the Greek businessman Felix Bitzios. His identify was primarily utilized by the Greek media within the context of the investigation of the Predator scandal, whereas now he’s proven to be taking part within the Panathinaikos Basketball Affiliation (KAE).
The journalists of Inside Story, Eliza Triantafyllou and Tasos Telloglou, of their yesterday's revealing article be aware about Santinomo and Mr. Biggio: “Two days after the final sanctions, on March 7, 2024, Santinomo Restricted posted to the Cyprus Firms Registrar two extra backdated paperwork, once more referring to the distant December 2020. In line with the brand new paperwork, posted a couple of days in the past, Andrea Gabacci didn’t stay the director and secretary of Santinomo Restricted for a single day. As we talked about above, it’s alleged that on December 19, 2020, Felix Bizios and Finsol Enterprises resigned as director and secretary respectively, to be taken over by Tal Dilian and Sarah Alexandra Hamou's associate, Andrea Gabaci, since – in line with once more with a dated doc – Felix Bigzios had offered his shares within the Irish Thalestris the day earlier than.
Lastly, on March 7, 2024, Santinomo Restricted informs the Registrar of Firms of Cyprus with a delay of 39 months, that on December 19, 2020, Felix Bitzios took over the administration of the corporate once more, succeeding Andreas Gabacchi, and Finsol Enterprises returned to the place of firm secretary” .
Within the report of the Greek colleagues, particulars are additionally given concerning the position of Finsol Enterprises, which is introduced because the secretary of Santinomo: “The director of Finsol Enterprises is the Greek accountant Ilias Kyriakidis and the compliance officer (as it’s a firm licensed by the Pancypriot Bar Affiliation) is the Greek lawyer Konstantinos Koukoutsis”
The state of affairs was difficult when Andrea Gabacci answered the questions of Inside Story journalists: “(…)we addressed detailed written inquiries to all these concerned. That’s, to Felix Bizio, Finsol Enterprises, the director of the accountant Ilias Kyriakides and the compliance officer, lawyer Konstantinos Koukoutsis, but additionally to the opposite finish of the transaction, particularly to Andreas Gabaci, who controls 51.41% of the rights of the Irish Thalestris Restricted and acts as trustee for different individuals holding the remaining 48.59% of the voting rights.
The one one who has responded up to now is Swiss ex-banker Andrea Gabacci. The solutions we acquired open a brand new chapter within the report and can most definitely result in checks by the supervisory (and never solely) authorities of Cyprus: Relating to the switch of shares and the paperwork you despatched me, I can state with certainty that I’ve by no means been concerned on this switch (of Santinomo Restricted) nor am I conscious of any switch of shares held by Santinomo Restricted in Intellexa AE, to Thalestris Restricted. Moreover, I’ve by no means been a shareholder nor have I ever assumed an energetic and/or passive position in Santinomo Restricted. Lastly, I can guarantee you that I have no idea nor have I ever met Mr. Biggio.”
“Points with Santinomo will likely be investigated”
The Registrar of Firms, Irini Mylonas Chrysostomou, talking yesterday to “F” from Munich the place she is on enterprise, acknowledged that she has already made preparations to analyze the problems raised for Santinomo. We particularly requested for clarification on the matter regarding the submitting of paperwork that present modifications within the administrative construction and have been filed 39 months later.
Mrs. Mylona-Chrysostomou acknowledged that the businesses, after first finishing up the inner procedures based mostly on the choices of their officers, are obliged to submit the related paperwork inside 14 days. After they file the paperwork late and out of doors the time-frame, then they’re charged a Late Submitting Payment. He added, nevertheless, that for a change to be registered by an organization and accepted by the Division of Firms' digital system or the officer dealing with it, the notified paperwork mustn’t battle with different paperwork within the firm's file.
A reliable member of the Pancypriot Bar Affiliation (PDA), reported to “F” that the case has been below assessment for a couple of week. Particularly, it’s dealt with by the Supervision and Compliance Division of the PDS. “There’s a proposal to ahead the case to the Cyprus Police, nevertheless, it will likely be examined first by the competent our bodies. In any case, we think about the case to be very severe and it’s being examined accordingly” was the assertion made competently in our newspaper.
