‘Society is watching in shock’, Disy says over Christodoulides video

Society is “watching in shock” a video which alleged campaign finance lawbreaking on the part of President Nikos Christodoulides and his  associates was widely shared on social media, Disy said on Friday.

“What is revealed in the video is shocking and extremely serious. Society demands clear and convincing answers from the government. Answers which have not been forthcoming so far,” it said.

It added that the video itself is “very likely … a malicious act which certainly causes costs to our country”, but that the questions on the merits are specific and unwavering.

Those questions, it said, concern whether Christodoulides received cash contributions, whether those alleged contributions were received “in exchange for financial rewards”, and how the social support body, a fund for students from disadvantaged backgrounds managed by First Lady Philippa Karsera Christodoulides, is used.

On the matter of the social support body, it asked whether Christodoulides’ office had “requested contributions” to it from potential donors, and whether “false or inaccurate information” was submitted by Christodoulides’ campaign to the election commissioner during the 2023 presidential election.

“The information raises serious suspicions of collusion, illegal activity and a lack of transparency centred on the presidential office, close associates of the president, and his family,” it said.

As such, it called for the immediate investigation of all aspects of the case, adding that “our country can only be protected with full transparency, accountability, and zero tolerance for corruption”.

Christodoulides had been a member of Disy until he was expelled from the party in January 2023, shortly before the presidential election, after deciding to stand as an independent candidate against the party’s nominee Averof Neophytou. Neophytou came in third place.

The video first appeared on social media platform X on Thursday, having been shared by an account using the handle “EmilyTanalyst” and the name “Emily Thompson”.

At the time the video was shared, the account had fewer than 350 followers, but this number has grown to more than 950 overnight, while the video has amassed more than 250,000 views.

It features close associates of Christodoulides, his chief of staff Charalambos Charalambous and former minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis, appearing to explain how they used and intended to continue to use cash donations to circumvent election campaign finance laws.

Both men also appeared to say that donations to Christodoulides by oligarchs under threat of appearing on international sanctions list would lead to him defending and assisting them to avoid sanctions from the European Union.

The social media account was registered in 2022 and according to information available on the platform is based in the United Kingdom.

The government has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.