Former Energy Minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis returned to the Criminal Investigation Department at Police Headquarters late on Friday afternoon.
According to information reported by OMEGA live, Lakkotrypis appeared before investigators and submitted invoices and supporting documentation related to the case that has dominated public debate since Thursday evening.
On Thursday, Lakkotrypis went to the CID in Nicosia, where he filed a complaint concerning the controversial video.
Content of the video
The eight-minute video published on Thursday allegedly includes conversations between associates of the President of the Republic and business figures with foreign investors. According to its creators, the footage was recorded using a hidden camera.
The conversations reportedly refer to cash contributions for the presidential election campaigns of Nikos Christodoulides in 2023 and 2028, as well as to ways of exerting influence and “buying access”, ranging from the securing of licences to the removal of individuals from sanctions lists.
In one excerpt, Lakkotrypis appears speaking to an investor who does not appear on camera, referring to Christodoulides’ appointment as Foreign Minister in 2018. “But the most important thing is that we are very good friends. He calls me often, he trusts me,” he is heard saying, adding that he was among the first to support the 2023 election campaign.
Lakkotrypis is also shown referring to the statutory €1 million ceiling on campaign spending in Cyprus, saying: “So sometimes they have to rely on cash in order to exceed that budget.”
In another segment, he refers to Charalambos Charalambous, stating that the President trusts him and “entrusted him with the finances during the election campaign”.
“For someone like Nikos, who does not have a party behind him, it is not easy to raise the money. That’s why Charalambos told me that, when the time comes, we will need money for the campaign,” he is heard saying.
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Acted as consultant for Dutch company
Two of the three individuals appearing in the video, Lakkotrypis and Cyfield Group CEO Giorgos Chrysochos, confirmed to Politis that they met individuals who presented themselves as Dutch investors in November, in order to discuss investment opportunities.
According to Lakkotrypis, he acted as a consultant for a Dutch company named Stratix Wealth, which expressed interest in investing €150 million in the energy sector in Cyprus, including in Cyfield’s power generation station.
Both Lakkotrypis and Chrysochos maintain that the video is the product of manipulation, with different conversations edited together and presented out of context. Lakkotrypis also filed a formal complaint with the police on Thursday evening.
The third individual appearing in the video, Charalambos Charalambous, Director of the Office of the President, did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Sources close to the government, however, spoke of a Russian footprint behind the video.
Two years of contacts
Politis understands that the individuals presenting themselves as “investors” first approached Lakkotrypis two years ago and gradually built a relationship with him. A series of contacts reportedly took place in London and in the Netherlands, where the company claimed to be based, although meetings were held in hotels and restaurants rather than offices.
Lakkotrypis subsequently entered into a consultancy contract for the provision of services, for which he received payment. He submitted the relevant documents to the police as part of his complaint.
Public statement by Lakkotrypis
In a written statement, Lakkotrypis said:
“It is obvious from the video that the statements attributed to me have been edited in order to distort the context of the discussions, with the ultimate aim of harming our country, the President of the Republic and myself personally.”
He was referring to the video circulating on the X platform, which casts shadows over the financing of Christodoulides’ 2023 presidential election campaign, as well as over alleged mechanisms allowing access to the Presidential Palace by individuals presented as prospective investors.