Australian media on the hunt for more scalps in the dual citizenship crisis set their sights on Industry Minister Arthur Sinodinos this week, despite emphatic denials by the senator that he has never held Greek citizenship.
With obvious parallels to the Julia Banks case, though Senator Sinodinos was born in Australia, Channel Nine suggested he may unwittingly hold Greek citizenship “by virtue of his late parents who were born on the Ionian island of Cephalonia”.
“According to Greek law, a ‘child of a Greek father or a Greek mother acquires Greek citizenship by birth’, ” continued the Channel Nine report.
Senator Sinodinos has strenuously denied the claims.
“Media reports… that I hold dual Greek citizenship are false,” he said in a statement.
“Categorically, I am not a dual citizen. I was born in Newcastle and have lived all my life in Australia.”
The senator added that he had “recently confirmed with the Government of Greece that I have never held Greek citizenship.”