Akel leader Stefanos Stefanou has urged President Nikos Christodoulides to confront corruption, sparked by a controversial video alleging illegal funding and investments.
- Akel leader Stefanos Stefanou has urged President Nikos Christodoulides to confront corruption, sparked by a controversial video alleging illegal funding and investments.
In an open letter, Stefanou expressed his concerns about the president’s inadequate response to the allegations. He stated that the president’s handling of the situation can be viewed in two ways: either Christodoulides does not understand the gravity of the matter, which Stefanou described as “extremely problematic,” or he is permitting unacceptable practices to continue.
Stefanou’s criticism extends to the president’s attempts to dismiss the video’s implications by suggesting that it may be the result of a “foreign hand” working against Cyprus. He highlighted that similar defences were previously used during the infamous “golden passports” scandal, which ultimately failed to convince the public and harmed the country’s international reputation.
According to Stefanou, Christodoulides is risking complicity in potential wrongdoing by allowing close associates to take part in decisions that stray from political ethics and legal boundaries. He urged the president to take decisive action, including dismissing the director of his office and publicly disclosing the names of donors involved in the alleged funding.
Stefanou conveyed that the president’s current stance appears to perpetuate a cycle of avoiding political responsibility and covering up scandals, rather than addressing the pressing issues of corruption head-on. He remarked, “Unfortunately, your stance confirms that you are simply recycling old practices of avoiding political responsibility, covering up scandals and perpetuating impunity.”
As the letter concluded, Stefanou reminded Christodoulides of his previous claims to leave office “with clean hands.” He emphasised that the president still has the opportunity to choose a different path: “The choice is yours,” he stated. “Confrontation with corruption or alignment with it?”
