Asked by Politis to comment on the conclusions of criminal investigator Andreas Paschalides, the private intelligence firm Black Cube has responded by email, standing firmly behind its evidence and expressing confidence that the Attorney General's Office will "bring those responsible to justice". The company requested that its response be published in its entirety, and it appears below unedited.
The response in full
"Black Cube is a private intelligence firm which provides bespoke services exclusively to clients engaged in business activities worldwide, supporting litigations, arbitrations, and white-collar crime cases. Black Cube obtains legal advice in every jurisdiction in which it operates to ensure the legality of its activities.
Corruption is a phenomenon that harms economies and impedes legitimate business activity. Black Cube stands firmly behind its evidence uncovering corruption in Cyprus. The authenticity of the evidence was verified by Cypriot authorities. Black Cube awaits the final assessment of the Attorney General's Office and is confident it will bring those responsible to justice and facilitate a cleaner business environment.
Black Cube will continue uncovering fraud, corruption, and asset dissipation in all its cases globally, as it has successfully done over the past 15 years."
What the investigator found
The response follows the announcement on Monday of the findings of independent criminal investigator Andreas Paschalides, six months after the eight-minute 'Emily Thompson' video alleging corruption and 'pay-to-access' practices was uploaded on X on 8 January 2026, the day after Cyprus launched its EU Presidency.
Paschalides found no violations of the Criminal Code by the Cypriot 'protagonists' featured in the video, which combined AI-voiced narration with covertly recorded conversations involving former Energy Minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis, Cyfield CEO Giorgos Chrysochou and Charalambos Charalambous, then Director of the President's Office.
The investigator concluded that the short video was not authentic but the product of editing and manipulation, describing it as inadmissible evidence of "negligible, if any, evidential value". He characterised the video as a form of hybrid attackaimed at harming the Republic of Cyprus rather than private interests, noting it bore the hallmarks of a campaign originating from a particular country, which he did not name, targeting EU member states since 2021.
Paschalides left the door slightly ajar, with reservations, for potential violations of the Council of Europe Criminal Law Convention on Corruption (Ratification) Law 23(III)/2000. He also noted that agreements were signed between three of the Cypriot protagonists and the purported investors, from which two derived financial benefits, though he assessed what some were heard saying in the video as "empty talk and 'boastful exaggerations'".
Focus turns to the client
The Attorney General's office has extended Paschalides' mandate to 31 December 2026, with the investigation now focused on identifying Black Cube's client, along with their aims and motives, an aspect the investigator was unable to resolve. The full report is in the hands of the Legal Service for assessment.
Politis revealed on 10 April 2026 that Black Cube, a private intelligence company founded in 2011 by veterans of elite Israeli intelligence units, was behind the video. The firm confirmed its role the same day, suggesting Cyfield was the target of its operation, which involved meetings between the Cypriot protagonists and so-called investors in Amsterdam and London.
