5 suspects arrested in Mahiroğlu investigation, including former İzmir Secretary-General

The investigation being conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into Cafer Mahiroğlu on charges of "bribery", "rigging tenders" and "laundering assets derived from crime" is ongoing. The proceedings before the criminal judgeship of peace for the 8 suspects who were taken into custody within the scope of the investigation and referred to the Istanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan have been completed.

The judgeship ruled for the arrest of former İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Secretary-General Ramazan Tezcan, former head of the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Machinery and Supply Department Haluk Harun Tuzsuzoğlu, controller at the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Machinery and Supply Department Mehmet Meral, and Doruk Bulut and İbrahim Tuncol. It ordered that judicial control measures be applied to the other suspects, Filiz Bulut, İbrahim Seyfittinoğlu and Murat Topuz.

In a statement from the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was noted that findings had been reached indicating that Cafer Mahiroğlu used his connections at the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality to bring about the establishment of BUSTECH Araç Bakım Onarım Hizmetleri AŞ and that unjust benefit was obtained through municipal tenders.

The statement recorded that, in line with MASAK data and other evidence, it had been determined that 14 million 464 thousand lira in unrecorded bribery payments linked to the tender processes had been made, that payments were made at exorbitant prices for work obtained through the company, and that revenues were transferred to companies linked to Mahiroğlu.

In the statement, which recorded that the total transaction volume of companies linked to Mahiroğlu was 30 billion 352 million 37 thousand 389 lira 15 kuruş, and that his personal bank accounts showed 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, it was reported that overseas money transfers and asset acquisitions had also been taken under examination.

The statement conveyed that companies determined to be partners of, managed by, or linked to suspect Mahiroğlu had been seized by decision of the criminal judgeship of peace and that the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) had been appointed as trustee.

Within the scope of the investigation, Harika Akkaya, Hasan Özdemir, İbrahim Özdemir, Armağan Küçük, Mustafa Özdemir, Halit Akın, Ali Turan, Mediha Burumoğlu, Murat Koçak, Erkan Yağcı, Süleyman Özen and Mehmet Necati Yağcı had previously been taken into custody. In the investigation, in which information was obtained that the defendants Cafer Mahiroğlu, Hakan Arıcan and Sevim Kul were abroad, it was determined that suspect Doruk Bulut was in prison for another crime and that suspect Fatih Yadoğlu was a fugitive. Of the 12 suspects taken into custody, 4 were arrested, and judicial control measures were imposed on 8 suspects, including house arrest for 4 of them. Within the scope of the investigation, the criminal judgeship of peace also imposed an access block on the social media accounts of Halk TV, to which TMSF had been appointed as trustee.

As the investigation continued, one more suspect was taken into custody and subsequently arrested, bringing the number of those arrested to 5. In the second wave of the operation within the scope of the investigation, 8 more suspects were taken into custody.