Investigators find Israeli company's expose on Cyprus corruption may have been intentional attack

A private intelligence firm's expose documenting alleged corruption in Cyprus may have been an intentional effort to harm the Cypriot state, according to an independent investigator. The investigator stated that none of the individuals filmed committed any wrongdoing.

The secretly recorded video, released on social media on January 8, depicted a Cypriot official, identified as a former energy minister, and a businessman conversing with individuals posing as investors. During the conversation, they discussed potential investments and political donations, with two individuals suggesting direct access to high-ranking government officials.

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As things currently stand, one can reasonably conclude this video was a form of hybrid attack to harm the Cypriot state.

All three individuals denied any wrongdoing. However, Charalambos Charalambous, the official featured in the video, resigned from his position as a senior aide to Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides following the video's release. The investigator's office described the statements made in the video as "empty talk and bluster."

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The authenticity of the evidence was verified by Cypriot authorities.

Black Cube, the Israeli private intelligence company that produced the video, stated in April that it was involved but did not reveal its client. The investigator, Andreas Paschalides, appointed by the state, concluded that "As things currently stand, one can reasonably conclude this video was a form of hybrid attack to harm the Cypriot state." A hybrid attack involves coordinated influence operations using deceptive methods to shape public perception and damage a target.

Cypriot investigators have offered immunity to those involved in creating the video but will continue to investigate who commissioned the sting operation. Black Cube, however, maintains it "stands firmly behind its evidence uncovering corruption in Cyprus" and that the "authenticity of the evidence was verified by Cypriot authorities." The investigator noted that while 26 hours of original footage were genuine, the eight-minute version published online was edited and "not authentic."

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not authentic since it was edited.