Video sting may have been part of hybrid attack on Cyprus, investigator says

An independent investigator told Reuters that a video sting made by Israeli private intelligence firm Black Cube, which claimed to expose corruption in Cyprus, may have been part of a hybrid attack aimed at harming the Cypriot state. The secretly recorded video, released on social media on Jan. 8, showed Cypriot official Charalambos Charalambous, a former energy minister, and a businessman discussing potential investments and political donations with people posing as investors. Two participants in the recording suggested gaining direct access to top government circles; all three featured denied wrongdoing, though Charalambous resigned as senior aide to President Nikos Christodoulides after the release. Andreas Paschalides’ state-appointed investigation office said investigators had granted immunity from prosecution to those involved in production, while continuing to seek who commissioned the sting. Opposition parties AKEL and ALMA criticized the findings.