Pham Phu Quoc (Source: NA Press Centre)

Quoc, a native of the central province of Quang Tri, admitted on August 25 that he had acquired Cypriot citizenship in 2018, but it was due to his family's petition, not him 'buying' the nationality as reported by Qatar’s Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera had reported that Cyprus's passport scheme allows people who have invested at least 2.5 million USD in the country to possess its passport, making individuals eligible to become EU citizens and travel and work freely in EU nations, as well as enter 174 countries without a visa. Quoc's name was mentioned among the list of foreigners who possess a Cypriot passport.

After the case was uncovered, Quoc sent a letter to the HCM City administration, resigning from the position of a National Assembly deputy of the city as well as the General Director of the state-owned Tan Thuan Industrial Promotion Company (IPC).

Ha Phuoc Thang, chief of office of the city People’s Committee, said that when the Quoc ran the election for a seat at the NA back in 2016, the municipal relevant authorities had performed sufficient and accurate works as regulated.

But Quoc's holding of the nationality in Cyprus without reporting it is an act that is deplorable, dishonest and disobeys the Party's regulations, Thang said.

How to deal with this case will be completed within this month, he added./.VNA

National Assembly verifies information about deputy member holding Cyprus passport

The National Assembly Committee for Deputy Affairs’ Head Tran Van Tuy has assigned relevant agencies to check the information of an NA member who is named in a list of politicians buying a passport from the Republic of Cyprus.