Prosecutors seek arrest of 6 suspects in Mahiroğlu investigation

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has completed the questioning of 8 suspects who were detained and brought to the courthouse as part of its investigation into Cafer Mahiroğlu on charges of "bribery," "rigging a tender" and "laundering assets derived from crime"; 6 suspects were referred to the criminal court of peace with a request for arrest, and 2 suspects with a request for judicial control.

Those referred with a request for arrest were former Secretary General of the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Ramazan Tezcan, former Head of the Machinery and Supply Department of the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Haluk Harun Tuzsuzoğlu, controller in the same department Mehmet Meral, along with Filiz Bulut, Emre Kaya and İbrahim Tuncol. İbrahim Seyfittinoğlu and Murat Topuz were referred to the court with a request for judicial control.

In the prosecutor's office statement, it had been stated that findings were reached indicating that Mahiroğlu used his connections at the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality to have BUSTECH Araç Bakım Onarım Hizmetleri AŞ established and that unjust benefit was obtained through municipal tenders. In line with MASAK data and other evidence, it was determined that 14 million 464 thousand lira in unrecorded bribe payments linked to the tender processes were made, that payments were made at exorbitant prices for work obtained through the company, and that revenues were transferred to companies linked to Mahiroğlu.

According to the statement, the total transaction volume of companies linked to Mahiroğlu stands at 30 billion 352 million 37 thousand 389 lira 15 kuruş; in his personal bank accounts there were money inflows totaling 1 billion 62 million 260 thousand 3 lira 28 kuruş across 459 separate transactions, and money outflows totaling 1 billion 118 million 591 thousand 33 lira 88 kuruş across 564 separate transactions. Foreign money transfers and asset acquisitions were also taken under examination.

Companies determined to be partners, managers of, or linked to suspect Mahiroğlu were seized by decision of the criminal court of peace, and the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund was appointed as trustee. The criminal court of peace also imposed an access block on the social media accounts of Halk TV, to which the TMSF was appointed as trustee.

In the investigation, 4 of the 12 suspects previously detained were arrested, and judicial control measures were applied to 8 suspects, 4 of them under house arrest. Subsequently 1 more suspect was arrested, bringing the number of those in detention to 5; in the second wave of operations 8 more suspects were detained. It was determined that the accused Cafer Mahiroğlu, Hakan Arıcan and Sevim Kul are abroad, that suspect Doruk Bulut is in prison for another crime, and that Fatih Yadoğlu is a fugitive.