Senior Cypriot presidential aide resigns amid corruption scandal

The chief aide to the president of Cyprus, Charalambos Charalambous, has resigned following a corruption scandal that has drawn significant public and political attention.

Charalambous announced his resignation in a statement posted on Facebook, saying he was stepping down due to what he described as efforts to “personally harm the president, discredit the government, and damage the country’s image,” Caliber.Az reports.

He said remarks attributed to him had been taken out of context, leading to what he called misleading interpretations. Charalambous added that he has already given testimony to the authorities and explained the “real context” of his statements.

The resignation comes after Cyprus’ First Lady, Philippa Karousa, earlier on January 11 stepped down from the steering committee of a charitable foundation linked to the same case.

The controversy erupted following the publication of a secretly recorded video, allegedly filmed just one day after Cyprus formally assumed the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. According to Cypriot authorities, the footage appears to show senior officials discussing ways to circumvent campaign financing restrictions through cash donations, as well as arrangements that would allow business figures to gain access to the president and first lady.

The video reportedly includes references to helping Russian individuals evade EU sanctions and to the use of the AFKS social fund, a charity overseen by the first lady.

Cypriot authorities have described the recording as a potential “organised hybrid operation” designed to undermine state institutions and cause direct harm to the country. Investigations into the matter are ongoing.

By Sabina Mammadli