Philippa Karsera’s role at a children’s charity has come under intense scrutiny in recent days.
Cyprus’ first lady Philippa Karsera announced on Sunday that she is stepping down from the management committee of a charity fund amid corruption allegations.
In a post on her Facebook page, Karsera said she’ll formally announce her resignation during a committee meeting of the Independent Social Support Agency (AFKS) on Monday. She cited an “unrelenting attack” against her and her family on social media over the past days and added that she has sought legal advice.
The move comes after a secretly recorded video was posted on X on Thursday evening, just a day after Cyprus officially assumed the presidency of the EU Council, triggering a political crisis.
The video includes a montage of senior figures filmed apparently describing ways to bypass campaign spending caps with cash donations, and seemingly discussing a scheme allowing businesspeople to access the president and first lady. One segment made reference to helping Russians avoid EU sanctions. It alleges that social contributions made by companies through the AFKS fund that the first lady runs are being misused to win preferential treatment.
The government denies the allegations made in the video and has called it “hybrid activity” aimed at harming “the image of the government and the country.”
Cyprus has requested assistance from specialized teams in the United States, Israel, the United Kingdom and France to help it investigate the οrigin of the video and who created it, according to the Cyprus News Agency.
“The First Lady’s resignation came with three days’ delay, while the director of the president’s office remains in his position,” said opposition party AKEL in a statement, adding that the government continues to refuse to disclose the names of those who donated to the fund.
The political parties that support the country’s coalition government are considering withdrawing their support, according to local media.
Cyprus is set to hold parliamentary elections in May while the next presidential election is scheduled for 2028.
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