The ongoing controversy surrounding the Independent Social Support Body, a charity fund managed by the First Lady, Philippa Karsera, has intensified as the government faces accusations of misrepresentation. Despite claims from government officials, including a recent statement by Victoras Papadopoulos, Press office Director of the President, asserting that the donor list is submitted to Parliament, members of the House have categorically denied this.

>>Questions Raised Over the Government’s Efforts to Keep Social Support Fund Donors Confidential<<

This issue began when President Christodoulides refused to sign into law a bill that would require the publication of the names of donors contributing over €5,000 to the fund. The President instead referred the legislation to the Supreme Constitutional Court, citing concerns over privacy and potential unconstitutionality.

Parliament members, including Chair of the Committee on Institutions and DISY MP, Demetris Demetriou, and AKEL MP Irini Charalambidou, have publicly refuted the government’s claims, stating that no donor lists have been provided. Charalambidou highlighted that the documents sent to Parliament contain only the initials of students receiving financial aid, not the names of donors.

Meanwhile, the Audit Office, has been urged to conduct an investigation into the fund’s operations, acting on a complaint filed by AKEL MP Christos Christofides. Christofides has raised concerns about the fairness of how financial aid is distributed, suggesting that the process lacks transparency and could be subject to favoritism. He has called for a thorough review of the applications approved and rejected by the fund, particularly those overseen by the First Lady.

The President’s decision to challenge the transparency law at the Supreme Constitutional Court has sparked further criticism. DISY MPs Nikos Georgiou and Kyriakos Hadjiyiannis, who originally proposed the bill, have expressed frustration, pointing out that the same transparency standards have applied to political parties since 2012. Georgiou, in particular, questioned why a similar level of accountability should not apply to a charity fund led by a politically exposed person like the First Lady.

The First Lady’s fund, which raised €2.2 million in 2023 alone, continues to operate under scrutiny as calls for transparency grow louder. Critics argue that by shielding the identities of donors, the government is undermining public trust and potentially opening the door to undue influence in the distribution of financial aid.