corruption probe — corruption probe — Andreas Paschalides, a former Supreme Court judge, has been appointed as an independent criminal investigator to lead a probe into a video alleging corruption within the presidential palace.
The announcement was made by the Attorney General on Tuesday, 13 January 2026, following mounting pressure from both government coalition partners and opposition parties calling for a transparent inquiry. Paschalides, who is also the Chairman of the Independent Authority for the Investigation of Allegations and Complaints against the Police, has been granted extensive powers to investigate any potential criminal offences linked to individuals identified in the footage.
The investigation will take place in collaboration with the Cyprus Police and is mandated to cover all dimensions of the controversy. According to the formal terms of reference, Paschalides is tasked with examining the video’s content, its authenticity, and its origin. A crucial aspect of the probe will involve investigating the “circumstances and motives” surrounding the production and release of the footage, which surfaced on the social media platform “X” on 8 January, posted by an account named “Emily Thompson.”
This appointment comes at a challenging time for the Christodoulides administration, which is facing its most significant domestic crisis. The President has described the leak as a Russian-led “hybrid attack” aimed at undermining the Republic during its tenure as EU Council President.
Paschalides has been directed to complete the investigation “as soon as possible,” with a maximum timeframe of three months to deliver findings that could have serious implications for several high-ranking officials. Among those under scrutiny is Charalambos Charalambous, the former Director of the President’s Office, who resigned shortly after the video was disclosed.
The Law Office clarified that Paschalides’ mandate extends to investigating any related issues that may emerge during his inquiries, effectively granting him broad authority over the presidency’s internal operations during the relevant period.
