Fugitive defendant in Dilovası massacre surrenders: 'I panicked, hid for 6 months'

Tense moments occurred during the trial regarding the explosion at the Ravive Cosmetics factory, which claimed the lives of 7 workers, including 3 children. While fugitive defendant Abdurrahman Bayat, who had been evading police for months, surrendered at the courthouse, the confession of a 15-year-old child worker, "There were no precautions, municipal police officers would just take perfume and leave," left a mark on the hearing.

Critical developments are taking place in the trial concerning the explosion at the Ravive Cosmetics factory in the Dilovası district of Kocaeli, which once again exposed the lack of oversight in the business world. In the second session of the trial held at the Kandıra Prison Campus, the confessions of fugitive defendants who had been evading justice and the desperation of child workers raised the tension in the courtroom.

"I SAID I WAS TAKING A VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC AND HID FOR 6 MONTHS"

Fugitive defendant Abdurrahman Bayat, who appeared before the judge on charges of "aiding and abetting a crime" and for whom an arrest warrant had been issued, defended his escape process with tragicomic excuses in his defense statement. Claiming that he did not even know the location of the factory, Bayat recounted the day of the incident with the following words:

"They called me and asked me to take the defendants' vehicles somewhere. I arranged a tow truck and left them with a mechanic friend. Then, when I heard my name associated with this incident, I panicked and hid for 6 months. I made an agreement with my lawyer, came to surrender yesterday, and found myself directly in prison. I have never seen these people in my life."

When the court panel asked Bayat about suspicious WhatsApp messages from 2021, the flow of money between accounts, and images of checks in response to his defense, the defendant denied the accusations, saying, "I do not accept these relationships; I have nothing to do with the incident."

"WE REGISTERED THE COMPANY UNDER THEIR SONS' NAMES DUE TO DEBTS"

Financial advisor Mustafa Çörlük, who was heard as a witness at the hearing, exposed the legal cover for underground production. Admitting to the irregularities in the establishment process of Ravive Cosmetics, Çörlük stated, "The company owners had too many debts. They could not register a company in their own names. That is why we registered the firm and the Dilovası branch under their sons' names to avoid the debts."

CHILLING CONFESSIONS FROM A 15-YEAR-OLD CHILD WORKER: "THERE WERE NO PRECAUTIONS, MUNICIPAL POLICE WOULD COME AND TAKE THEIR GOODS"

The most talked-about moment of the trial was the statement of Z.H., a child worker who survived the explosion at the factory by chance. Stating that he was employed without insurance and for a pittance of 800 TL per day when he was only 15, Z.H. conveyed how capital disregards the lives of workers with these striking sentences:

"I worked in that factory for 2.5 years. We were never given a single piece of protective equipment, and we never received any occupational safety training. On the day of the explosion, I escaped death because I was labeling near the entrance. Moreover, municipal police officers were constantly coming to the factory; instead of conducting inspections, they would just take their perfumes and leave."

"NEW DECISIONS FROM THE COURT"

Announcing its decision after a break, the court panel ordered the arrest of the fugitive Abdurrahman Bayat. While the request of the Ministry of Family and Social Services to intervene in the case was accepted, it was decided that a medical report should be requested from a hospital to determine whether the defendant Aleyna Oransal, who is stated to be pregnant, can remain in prison conditions. Mass organizations that gathered in the squares before the hearing stated, "We are following the main case file in which public officials are also being tried."

News Source: 12punto