Breaking News... A dispute erupted: IMM hearing ends before it even begins!

The fifth hearing of the IMM case, launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality over corruption allegations and consisting of a 3,900-page indictment, is being held today in the courtroom at Silivri Prison.

A total of 402 defendants, including the CHP's detained presidential candidate and IMM Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, are being tried in the case, with 107 of them currently in custody.

DEFENSE STATEMENTS CONTINUE

In the hearing, which was expected to start at 10:00, the defense attorneys for Ümit Polat, the purchasing manager of the IMM subsidiary Ağaç AŞ, are scheduled to continue their statements.

According to the defense order prepared by the court, detained employee Fatih Yağcı and businesspeople Ali Üner and Evren Şirolu are also expected to present their defenses as part of the allegations against Ağaç AŞ in the indictment.

11:40 | HEARING ADJOURNED!

The panel did not come to the courtroom. The bailiff announced that the hearing has been adjourned until tomorrow.

11:30 | CHANTS OF "LET THE HEARING BEGIN" IN THE HALL

The recess called by the presiding judge before opening the hearing continues. Spectators, lawyers, and detained and non-detained defendants have been waiting for about an hour. Those waiting at the entrance of the courtroom are chanting, "Let the panel come, let the hearing begin."

11:10 | MURAT EMİR: THE PANEL DOES NOT WANT TO SPEAK TO ANYONE

Speaking to Seda Selek's program, which is broadcasting from Silivri during the recess, CHP Group Deputy Chairman Murat Emir stated that the court panel does not want to speak to anyone. Expressing that they will not leave the hall, Emir said, "Our colleagues are reminding them of the laws. There are powers derived from the Attorneys' Law. They do not want to hear these. They could not answer any of the allegations we made in the courtroom. But in the end, they got up and left, saying they were taking a recess. And right now, there is no communication."

10:30 | DETAINEES REMOVED FROM THE HALL, PANEL LEAVES THE COURTROOM

The presiding judge called a recess before the hearing even began as the dispute continued. Chants of "Rights, law, justice" were heard in the hall. The detainees are being removed from the hall.

10:23 | SEATING CRISIS BETWEEN CHP MP AND PRESIDING JUDGE!

Journalists Fırat Fıstık and Hilmi Hacaloğlu, reporting on developments from the hall, stated that a dispute occurred between CHP MP Turan Taşkın Özer, who was following the hearing, and the gendarmerie. According to reports, Çanakkale Mayor Muharrem Erkek shouted "everything will be very beautiful" as the detainees were being brought into the hall. In the dialogue between Taşkın Özer, who was sitting in the lawyers' section in his robes, and the gendarmerie, it was shared that Özer said to the panel, "This is a courtroom, not a prison. If they cannot manage it, they shouldn't do it."

According to Halk TV, the presiding judge wanted to remove Turan Taşkın Özer from the lawyers' benches and move him to the spectator side.

The dialogue between the judge and Özer is as follows:

Presiding Judge: What is your title?

Özer: Jurist

Presiding Judge: You can follow from the spectator section

Tanal: There is no room in the spectator section

Presiding Judge: We will start if the lawyers are in their proper places

Özer: I am already a lawyer

10:16 | İMAMOĞLU IN THE HALL WITH CHANTS

Detained presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu was brought into the hall with chants of "President İmamoğlu." İmamoğlu responded by waving to those chanting for him. According to reports from the hall, there is strong support not only for İmamoğlu but for all detained defendants brought into the hall. The court panel is expected to take its place and the hearing is expected to begin.

10:00 | JOURNALISTS TO BE SEATED IN THE FARTHEST CORNER OF THE HALL

Gamze Altunay, reporting the latest developments from Silivri, stated that journalists are required to have a turquoise press card at the security entrance. Altunay said that journalists would be seated in the corner of the hall, just like in the first days of the hearing. Journalists Hilmi Hacaloğlu and Burcu Uğur also noted that the space allocated to them was the blindest spot in the hall, from where they could not see the hearing.

09:30 | PRESS CARD CRISIS BEFORE THE HEARING STARTS

The court panel had decided at the hearing held last Thursday to remove journalists from the hall on the grounds that they had asked questions to İmamoğlu. The hearing was adjourned when the journalists did not leave the hall.

It was decided that those without a Communications Directorate press card would not be admitted to today's hearing. Journalists with institutional cards will be able to follow the hearing from the press room. Due to this decision, many journalists who entered with their institutional cards last week are not being admitted to the hall.

08:57 | SECURITY MEASURES DRAW ATTENTION

Following the tense conclusion of the 4th hearing of the IMM case, the increased security measures before the 5th hearing are drawing attention. Vehicles arriving at the search points are not being allowed into the prison campus entrance. Journalists waiting in front of the hall have not yet been admitted.

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DEFENSE OF MAYORS MAY COME TO THE AGENDA

According to the court calendar, the IMM case is planned to continue this week until March 19, which is the eve of the holiday.

It is stated that Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan, who is 12th on the defense list, and Beylikdüzü Mayor Mehmet Murat Çalık, who is 13th, may also appear before the court panel this week.

WHAT HAPPENED IN THE FIRST 4 DAYS OF THE CASE?

Tensions were high at the first session of the IMM case held on March 9.

After a dispute between the presiding judge and İmamoğlu, an order was given to clear the hall, and spectators began to be removed. The court panel left the hall, saying, "I am not conducting the trial until you leave." İmamoğlu said, "You did not come here to conduct a trial; you cannot escape from here." The hearing was adjourned until 13:30. After a half-hour delay, the hearing resumed at 14:00. İmamoğlu's lawyers, Hasan Fehmi Demir and Fikret İlkiz, filed a motion for the recusal of the judge. The presiding judge rejected the motion for recusal.

İMAMOĞLU: I AM A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE IN THE NEXT ELECTIONS

The second day of the hearing also began 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-ment.' Whatever they have done in their 15 years of municipal governance, they have attributed to İmamoğlu. I have come to 8-9 hearings. I have always come and spoken. You did not give me the right to speak yesterday. I am a mayor. I am a presidential candidate in the next elections." The presiding judge announced that the interim decision would be issued in April.

BLOCKADE OF DETAINEES BY THE GENDARMERIE

On the third day of the IMM case held at Silivri Prison, Bulut Aydöner, the brother of CHP Party Assembly Member Baki 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 spectator benches. While the detainees were blockaded by the gendarmerie, the lawyers reacted to the gendarmerie.

4TH DAY IN THE IMM CASE

At the fourth hearing of the IMM case held on Thursday, March 12, there was a dispute in the hall regarding the press.

During the recess of the hearing, the court panel decided to change the seating arrangement of the press members after journalists asked questions to Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was being taken out of the hall under gendarmerie escort. The Presiding Judge stated that this step was taken on the grounds that the journalists were "abusing good faith."

Following the decision, the journalists stated that there were no tables in the area shown to them and that they were directed to the very back of the hall, and said they would not leave their seats. Upon this, the Presiding Judge stated that the order of the hearing could not be maintained and adjourned the session until Monday.

After the decision, chants of "Rights, law, justice" were heard in the hall, and the relatives of the detainees and some politicians following the hearing supported the journalists with applause.

News Source: 12punto