Cyprus’ first lady Philippa Karsera said she will step down from the management committee of a charity fund amid corruption allegations tied to a secretly recorded video that authorities say bears the hallmarks of an organized disinformation campaign.
In a Facebook post, Karsera said she will formally announce her resignation at a meeting of the Independent Social Support Agency, or AFKS. She cited what she described as an “unrelenting attack” against her and her family on social media in recent days and said she has sought legal advice.
Her decision follows the release Thursday of an 8 ½-minute video posted on X, a day after Cyprus officially assumed the rotating presidency of the European Union Council. The video triggered a political crisis, alleging influence peddling at the highest levels of government.
The video is a montage of secretly filmed snippets of three figures — the president’s brother-in-law who also heads the presidential office, a former energy minister and the chief executive of a major construction company — apparently discussing access to President Nikos Christodoulides, campaign financing and foreign investments. It suggests ways to bypass campaign spending caps through cash donations and includes a reference to helping Russians avoid EU sanctions.
One segment alleges that corporate social contributions made through the AFKS fund, which Karsera runs, were misused to secure preferential treatment. Another claims Christodoulides exceeded a 1 million euro ($1.16 million) campaign funding limit during his 2023 presidential bid by accepting off-the-books cash donations. The most serious allegation is that the government would work to block EU sanctions against Russian oligarchs in exchange for corporate funding.
Cyprus says video is likely the product of Russian disinformation
The government has categorically denied the allegations, describing the video as a malicious “hybrid activity” aimed at damaging the image of the government and the country. Government spokesman Constantinos Letymbiotis called the claims a collection of “lies, deceptions and unfounded claims.”
According to an initial analysis by Cyprus Security Services obtained by The Associated Press, the video exhibits “the characteristics of organized Russian disinformation campaigns” similar to a 2021 online operation targeting EU countries, the United States and Israel. The analysis said the video’s editing and narration provide no “tangible evidence” to support the corruption claims and described it as resembling “kompromat,” a Soviet-era tactic used for political weakening or character assassination. The report did not rule out the possibility that another actor using similar methods could be responsible. Russia did not immediately comment.
Cyprus has requested assistance from specialized teams in the United States, Israel, the United Kingdom and France to investigate the origin of the video and those behind it, according to the Cyprus News Agency.
Opposition party AKEL criticized the timing of Karsera’s move, saying her resignation came after a three-day delay while the director of the president’s office, who appears in the video, remains in his post. AKEL also accused the government of refusing to disclose the identities of donors to the fund and called for the presidential office director’s resignation.
Local media reported that parties supporting the coalition government are considering withdrawing their backing as the controversy intensifies.
The video’s release, just one day after Cyprus marked its assumption of the EU presidency in an event attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, heightened government suspicions. Since taking office in 2023, Christodoulides has shifted Cyprus onto a firmly pro-Western course, advocating strong support for Ukraine and closer diplomatic and military ties with the United States.
Cyprus is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections in May, with the next presidential election set for 2028.
