The Greek Cypriot political landscape has been in turmoil since last week over allegations that President Nikos Christodoulides and his close associates circumvented legal limits on campaign spending during the 2023 presidential election through illegal donations.
According to reports in the Greek Cypriot media, the claims are based on a video circulated on X. The footage, which includes publicly available records and material that appears to have been secretly recorded, suggests that Christodoulides’ campaign exceeded the 1 million euros spending limit by using cash disguised as donations.
The video reportedly featured former Energy Minister Yiorgos Lakkotrypis implying that cash was occasionally used to bypass expenditure limits.
It also suggested that Christodoulides coordinated with his chief of staff and brother-in-law, Charalambos Charalambous, when cash was required.
In the latest development on Jan. 12, Charalambous announced his resignation as chief of staff, following widespread circulation of the video on social media.
In a post, he maintained his innocence, stating that “in recent days, a targeted effort has been underway to personally harm the president of the republic, to question the government and to damage the image of our homeland.”
Meanwhile, first lady Philippa Karsera Christodoulides also stepped down from her role as chair of the management committee of the Independent Social Support Agency (AFKS), citing what she called an “unrelenting attack” against her and her family online over the past 24 hours.
Greek Cypriot authorities have sought international assistance in response to the controversial video. According to the Cyprus News Agency, teams from the United States, Israel, the United Kingdom and France have been contacted as the ongoing investigation intensifies.
Deputy government spokesman Yiannis Antoniou told the media that the government aims to “shake off this cloud of doubt” that has enveloped it since the video’s release. “
