British News Agency

The controversy centers on a mysterious video published on the platform X, featuring a montage in which senior officials appear to explain ways to bypass campaign spending limits through cash donations and discuss a plan to give businesspeople access to the president and his wife. One segment refers to helping Russians evade EU sanctions.

The government rejects the allegations in the video, describing it as “a hybrid activity aimed at damaging the image of the government and the country.”

The government does not claim the video is fake, but insists that the comments were misleadingly stitched together. The footage appears to have been filmed using hidden cameras during private meetings.

Unconvinced opposition parties are now calling for further action.

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides strongly rejected the allegations of illegal campaign financing in comments to local media on Friday.

“I call on anyone who has evidence that I obtained direct or indirect financial gain during the election campaign or while serving as president to submit it immediately to the competent state authorities. I will allow no one—absolutely no one—the right to accuse me of corruption.”

Regarding payments made by companies, he said that firms should, within the framework of “corporate social responsibility (CSR),” also provide social benefits for the state—“I repeat, for the state”—and that they do so in health, welfare, defense, and many other areas.

The controversial video was posted Thursday afternoon on the social media platform X by an account named “Emily Thompson,” described as “an independent researcher, analyst, and lecturer primarily focused on U.S. domestic and foreign policy.”

No publicly available and verifiable information immediately confirmed the true identity of the person behind the account.

The video shows former Energy Minister George Lakkotrypis and the head of the presidential office, Charalambos Charalambous.

In the recordings, Lakkotrypis is presented as a point of contact for those seeking access to Christodoulides and appears to explain procedures related to payments exceeding the €1 million campaign limit.

In a written statement, Lakkotrypis said it is “clear” from the video that the remarks attributed to him were edited to distort the context of the conversations in order to harm Cyprus and him personally. He added that he had filed a complaint with the police. Police spokesperson Vyron Vyronos told the Cyprus News Agency that police launched an investigation into the video following Lakkotrypis’s complaint.

Later in the video, Christodoulides’s brother-in-law Charalambous explains how access to the presidential palace is gained. “Here, alongside the president, we are the two main points of contact in the palace,” he says, adding that interested parties can approach the president with a proposal and money that could be directed toward social contributions.

No official statement has been issued by Charalambous.