Tension rises as Parliament prepares for Videogate hearing

The Cypriot House of Representatives is set to hold an extraordinary session of the Institutions Committee this Friday regarding the 'Videogate' scandal. The case stems from a video published on January 8, 2026, on the social platform X, which allegedly depicted associates of President Nikos Christodoulides engaging in influence peddling. Following an investigation, independent criminal investigator Andreas Paschalides released a summary of his findings last week.

Attorney General Giorgos Savvides has formally notified Parliament that he will not submit the full report by Paschalides to the committee. In a letter to the House, the Attorney General stressed that the criminal investigation remains ongoing and that neither the investigator nor police officials will answer questions from MPs during the hearing. He cautioned that disclosing details of the investigative work outside of a court setting could compromise the legal proceedings and infringe upon the rights of the individuals involved.

Despite these restrictions, the chairman of the Institutions Committee, Dimitris Dimitriou, confirmed that the session will proceed as planned behind closed doors. Lawmakers have asserted their commitment to institutional oversight, dismissing the Attorney General's warnings as unnecessary, while maintaining that they are fully aware of their legal boundaries and procedural obligations.