Breaking News... 4th session of the IMM trial concludes! Will continue on Monday

The fourth day of the trial, opened by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding corruption allegations against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) and involving 402 defendants, 107 of whom are in custody, has begun.

The first 3 days of the trial, which began on March 9 and is being held in the courtroom at Silivri Prison, were marked by arguments. The defense statements of the detained defendants will continue until March 19, and the court board will issue an interim decision at the end of April.

Today, the final hearing of the week will be held. Ümit Polat will present his defense in the fourth session of the trial.

15.00 | COURT SESSION TERMINATED

Citing a lack of order, the presiding judge decided to end today's hearing. The trial will continue on Monday.

14.40 | “PRESIDENT IMAMOGLU” SLOGANS IN COURT

After the break, the detained defendants were brought back into the courtroom. With the arrival of İmamoğlu, chants of “President İmamoğlu” rose once again in the court.

The Court Board also arrived in the hall; the presiding judge requested that members of the press be sent back to the area at the very back of the hall, stating, “We acted in good faith, but we saw that it was abused.”

Questions from members of the press such as “What did we do to abuse it?” were left unanswered.

İmamoğlu also supported the members of the press.

Following these developments, a 10-minute break was given to the hearing. The presiding judge stated, “We are in a constant state of negotiation, let's take a 10-minute break.”

Instructions were also given to remove the detained defendants from the hall.

CHP Istanbul Provincial Chair Özgür Çelik, who was sitting in the audience section, also reacted to the court board's decision to change the seating of the press members.

Requests from press members such as “Please consult with 1 person” were left unanswered.

14.10 | OBSTACLE TO IMAMOGLU'S MEETING WITH PRESS MEMBERS

With the break given to the IMM trial, Ekrem İmamoğlu answered questions from the press, but the presiding judge sent a message to the press members via the bailiff, and it was decided that the seats of the press members next to the lawyers in the hall would be moved back to their original location.

The press members insisted on not changing their seats in order to follow the hearing more effectively.

The bailiff went to speak with the presiding judge once more.

The result is awaited.

13.30 | IMAMOGLU ANSWERED JOURNALISTS' QUESTIONS: "I SENT AUDITS TO EVERY INSTITUTION"

With the break, Ekrem İmamoğlu again answered questions from the press. As he left the hall, İmamoğlu said, “These only serve one person and one family. I will serve 86 million. They are also harming those they serve.”

Regarding Ümit Polat's defense, İmamoğlu said: "It's empty. They made a chart claiming payments reached 20 billion per month. This institution's annual budget is 5 billion. The prosecutor's office, which looks like a chief prosecutor but is led by a politician, made this chart. He worked with people who served in this institution in past periods, during the AK Party era. That person, I've given up on asking questions, if he had written one line to me, it would have been enough. I sent audits to every institution, I opened them to audits. Excluding internal audits, this institution was audited a total of one thousand six hundred times. In the five-year period before us, it had been audited one hundred and forty times.”

13:20 | HEARING ADJOURNED

The hearing was adjourned until 14:30.

13:10 | THE COURT OF ACCOUNTS AUDITED TWICE BUT DID NOT COMPLAIN!

İmamoğlu's lawyer Hasan Fehmi Demir: “You said from the beginning of your statement that ‘you made a great effort when you witnessed corruption,’ did the company you worked for have an independent auditor?”

Polat: “We did not have an independent auditor, the Court of Accounts came twice.”

Lawyer Hasan Fehmi Demir: “Did you think of reporting these corruptions to them? Instead of trying to reach Özgür Özel…”

Polat: “I have given my years to that company… I informed a superior because I was uncomfortable with the general manager here. I tried to get an appointment from Mr. Ertan, it didn't happen.”

Lawyer Hasan Fehmi Demir: “Your first statement is May 27, but it was officially recorded on May 28, then you gave another statement in July, and then in September. Did you request it from the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office?”

Polat: “Yes. My arrest statement in July, I only requested the one in September.”

13:00 | ÜMIT POLAT: "I DID NOT DIRECTLY SEE MONEY BEING TAKEN"

The lawyer for Ağaç A.Ş. General Manager Ali Sukas asked, "Did you see anything indicating that Ali Sukas received money?" Ağaç A.Ş. Purchasing Manager Ümit Polat replied, “I did not see it directly as money. I saw those who came with bags and left empty-handed.”

12:30 | SUKAS ASKED POLAT A QUESTION

Regarding the chart, one of the detained defendants, Ali Sukas, took the floor and asked Ümit Polat a question.

Sukas: “Ümit Polat is the same age as Ağaç AŞ. He has been there for 20 years. He will answer this question. Is there any possibility that we made a payment of 20 billion in a month or a year? Has Ağaç AŞ ever had such a budget?”

Ümit Polat: "I remember there was a budget of 5-plus billion in 2024. Such a payment is out of the question."

12:00 | QUESTIONS FROM THE JUDGE TO POLAT

In the continuation of his defense, Polat said, "In early 2024, Ali Sukas called me and said, ‘There is a list, we will take 10 percent from the purchases.’ I asked, ‘What money are we asking for?’ He said, ‘I don't want it, the higher-ups want it.’ Contractors started coming and complaining. I thought he was taking the money himself, I said, ‘I will complain to the higher-ups.’ Duygu Çebi is Ertan Yıldız’s niece. I shared the situation with her. She arranged an appointment and I mentioned the incident, she said, ‘He was very upset and said he would take care of it.’ Then the general manager's mobbing began.”

When his defense ended, the judge asked Polat various questions:

“You said you gave a statement within the scope of effective remorse and you always described a situation regarding Ali Sukas. There are allegations that you received a lot of money, but you do not accept these.”

Polat: "My name is not mentioned in any of the first statements. My name was used by some people to give statements within the scope of effective remorse."

Judge: "You also requested effective remorse and gave a statement? You didn't say much about Tamer Gümüş. Ali Sukas took you and Murat Or into a room and told you how to give a statement. How did that happen?”

Polat: "Company lawyer Emre Kırmızı was with Murat Or. Sukas told us that there was a secret witness statement about us and that they would call us for a statement. I stated that I would tell whatever I knew. I gave a statement on May 28, and I was fired from Ağaç AŞ on June 16.”

Judge: "What is your connection to Yalova?”

Polat: "I went to meet with the firms.”

While the judge's questions continued, Polat also gave information about his meetings in prison: “I never saw Fatih Keleş once. Adem Soytekin showed him here. I wanted to meet with Ertan Yıldız but I never saw him once. The CHP member who came to visit me is Gökan Zeybek.”

Later, the prosecutor also asked Polat questions:

“You said there are people asking for money from above. Who are they?”

Polat: “I met with Ali Sukas outside. He said, "You have 25 years of labor, but I will remove you from duty. You talk too much, be careful. Ertan Yıldız and Fatih Keleş know about these things.” Later in the process, I was beaten on the instructions of Ali Sukas. I did not file a complaint because I was afraid. Ekrem İmamoğlu was already arrested the next day anyway.

Prosecutor: "But in your statement to the prosecutor's office, you said that Sukas told you “This attack was not made on you, but on us”?”

Polat: "I think Sukas had this done in terms of operation.”

PROSECUTOR REQUESTED IMAMOGLU BE REMOVED FROM THE HALL

During the argument that broke out while İmamoğlu was reacting to the chart and the prosecutor, the prosecutor requested that İmamoğlu be removed from the hall for the act of CMK 204 (disturbing the order of the hearing). The judge did not take this request of the prosecutor into account.

"CHART" REACTION FROM IMAMOGLU

The prosecutor projected a chart showing the amount of money entering Ağaç AŞ by year into the courtroom and asked:

“You said İmamoğlu met with Ali Sukas. You said İmamoğlu was angry with Ali Sukas for not being able to collect enough money for the election. You said that after this, Sukas increased the speed of money collection. Does this rise in money entry into Ağaç AŞ between 2023-2024 have anything to do with this meeting?”

Polat: "Money was collected, but I don't know for what or when.”

Prosecutor: "Is the collection of money related to the election?”

Polat: "I don't know why money is collected.”

Prosecutor: "You have been in this business for 25 years, Ümit. You said this in your own statement. What was the money collected for?”

Polat: "He collected more during that time, I don't know.”

Later, İmamoğlu intervened and reacted to the contradiction in the statements and the chart. Stating that the chart did not reflect the truth, İmamoğlu said, “Mr. Judge, please do not allow lies. The prosecution projected a false chart.”

12:06 | RESPONSE FROM GOVERNOR GÜL TO THE ALLEGATIONS IN QUESTION

Upon Polat's statement in his defense that signals regarding the March 19 IMM operation were given to him by the cousin of Istanbul Governor Davut Gül, who works at Ağaç AŞ, Gül made a statement on his social media account. In his post, Gül stated, "I have no relatives, close or distant, working in the IMM or IMM subsidiaries.”

11:00 | 'ISTANBUL GOVERNOR DAVUT GÜL' DETAIL IN POLAT'S DEFENSE

It was alleged that during the period Ümit Polat was in office, he demanded money unlawfully by acting together with Ağaç AŞ General Manager Ali Sukas from the owners of companies that did business with the company he worked for and received tenders. In the first parts of his defense, Polat said that signals regarding the March 19 IMM operation were given to him by the cousin of Istanbul Governor Davut Gül, who works at Ağaç AŞ. Polat stated that the person in question told him; "Don't make a sound, wait, something will happen soon anyway.”

Polat said, “In the process after March 19, negative news about Ağaç AŞ was coming out. It was thought that I had it done, but I definitely did not have it done. Two people who fled abroad returned 8 months later and said I gave money to Ümit Polat, and I was arrested.”

10:40 | FATİH KELEŞ'S LAWYER: "WE REQUEST YOUR COURT TO REPORT IT"

According to Cumhuriyet, it was announced that lawyer Recep Seyhan, who came to the agenda with IMM Exchange allegations, visited the detained IMM Sports President Fatih Keleş in prison and said “Your name is mentioned in the file of instigating the murder of Aziz İhsan Aktaş” and forced him to become a confessor. It was revealed in the defense made by Küçük's lawyer in court yesterday that the same lawyer also visited Özgür Karabat's detained driver Sırrı Küçük. Keleş's lawyer Baran Kaya took the floor before the hearing started and said, “We have previously filed a criminal complaint about Seyhan, but his name has come to the agenda once again with a different defendant. We request your court to report it.”

The first defense is being made by Ümit Polat, who worked as a Purchasing Manager at the IMM-affiliated Ağaç AŞ and was arrested in June. Polat had applied to benefit from effective remorse in prison, but his statement was not found sufficient.

10:30 | HEARING STARTED

The detained defendants took their places in the courtroom, the court board arrived, and the hearing began.

10:20 | "PRESIDENT IMAMOGLU" SLOGANS WERE CHANTED

Ekrem İmamoğlu was brought to the courtroom. “President İmamoğlu” slogans were chanted. İmamoğlu responded by waving.

10:10 | DETAINED DEFENDANTS WELCOMED WITH APPLAUSE

The detained defendants began to be brought to the courtroom. As in the other three days, the female detained defendants arrived first today, accompanied by the Gendarmerie. Those following the hearing supported them with intense applause. The detained defendants also responded by waving. The detained defendants are being brought to the court in pieces. While one of the detained defendants, Ramazan Gülten, was being brought into the hall, Gülten's wife shouted, “Ramazan, Maya said daddy.” Gülten's daughter, Maya, was born while Gülten was in custody.

10:00 | REACTION FROM DİLEK İMAMOĞLU

Before the hearing, the bailiff warned the families who were taking pictures of each other in the audience section. Upon this, IMM President Ekrem İmamoğlu's wife, Dilek İmamoğlu, reacted to the bailiff, saying, "You cause tension every morning. These people have been inside for a year for no reason. These days will pass. Go and see if you can lie there for one night unjustly?"

***

WHAT HAPPENED IN THE FIRST 3 DAYS OF THE TRIAL?

The tension was high in the first session of the IMM trial held on March 9.

Upon an argument between the presiding judge and İmamoğlu, an order was given to empty the hall, and the audience began to be removed from the hall. The court board left the hall, saying, "I am not conducting the trial until you leave." İmamoğlu said, "You didn't come here to judge, you can't leave by running away from here." The hearing was adjourned until 13:30. After a half-hour delay, the hearing started again at 14:00. İmamoğlu's lawyers Hasan Fehmi Demir and Fikret İlkiz requested the recusal of the judge. The presiding judge rejected the request for recusal.

WHAT HAPPENED ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE IMM TRIAL

IMAMOGLU: I AM A CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT IN THE NEXT ELECTIONS

The second day of the hearing also started with tension. After the summary of the 3,900-page indictment was read, Ekrem İmamoğlu took the floor before the defense and made a speech. İmamoğlu said, "The name of this indictment is a slander indictment. Whatever they have done in their 15 years of municipalism, they have attributed to İmamoğlu. I have come to 8-9 hearings. I always came and spoke. You didn't give me the right to speak yesterday. I am the mayor. I am a candidate for president in the next elections.” The presiding judge announced that the interim decision would be issued in April.

WHAT HAPPENED ON THE SECOND DAY OF THE IMM TRIAL

BLOCKADE OF DETAINEES BY THE GENDARMERIE

On the third day of the IMM trial held at Silivri Prison, CHP Party Assembly Member Baki Aydöner's brother Bulut Aydöner and Sırrı Küçük were heard. The third day of the hearing also passed with tensions. The Gendarmerie tried to prevent the detainees from waving to the audience rows. While the detainees were blockaded by the Gendarmerie, the lawyers reacted to the Gendarmerie.

WHAT HAPPENED ON THE THIRD DAY OF THE IMM TRIAL

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