4 released in Aziz İhsan Aktaş case

The second hearing of the case opened by the Istanbul 1st High Criminal Court against 200 people, including businessman Aziz İhsan Aktaş, who is alleged to be the leader of a "profit-oriented criminal organization" accused of organizing tenders by bribing certain mayors, was held at Hearing Room No. 3 across from the Marmara Penal Execution Institution in Silivri.

Following the public prosecutor's presentation of the final opinion, the statements of the defense attorneys for the detained defendants regarding their detention were heard.

After a break in the hearing, the presiding judge announced the interim decision regarding the detention status of the defendants. The panel decided to release the detained Beşiktaş Deputy Mayor Ali Rıza Yılmaz, Rıza Akpolat's brother-in-law Burak Kangal, Rıza Akpolat's brother-in-law Kazım Gökhan Yankılıç, and Rıza Akpolat's friend Rabil Artan.

REQUESTS TO JOIN AS COMPLAINANTS ACCEPTED

The court panel accepted the requests of the complainants who had applied on the grounds that they might have been harmed by the crime, and decided to add them to the file as "intervening parties." The court also ruled that a writ be written to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office for the submission of the original documents subject to the allegation of "forgery of documents."

Regarding the blocks on personal accounts, it was decided to lift the blocks on accounts for which there was no confiscation request, while the measures on accounts subject to a confiscation request will remain in place.

The defendants' requests to be exempted from the hearings were rejected, taking into account that the final opinion had been presented and the stage the trial has reached.

The panel decided that all non-detained defendants must be present at the hearings where defenses against the final opinion will be heard. The decision included a warning that if they do not attend the hearing, measures such as forced attendance, arrest warrants, judicial control, or detention could be applied.

It was decided that the requests to lift the measures on the property and companies seized from the detained defendants would be evaluated at the verdict stage. While the court lifted the judicial control measures in the form of signature obligations, it ruled that the judicial controls in the form of house arrest and travel bans would continue.

The hearing was adjourned to June 15 for the defendants to prepare their defenses against the final opinion. The court panel stated that they plan to continue the trial without interruption after this date. The court panel is expected to announce its verdict after the defendants complete their defenses against the final opinion.

RELEASE HAD ALSO BEEN REQUESTED FOR 4 DEFENDANTS IN THE FINAL OPINION

In the public prosecutor's final opinion, it was requested that non-detained defendant Aziz İhsan Aktaş be sentenced for "establishing an organization for the purpose of committing a crime," 29 counts of "rigging a tender," 19 counts of "forgery of private documents," 4 counts of "forgery of official documents," 3 counts of "bribery," and 3 counts of "rigging the performance of an obligation," and that non-detained defendant Baki Nugay be sentenced for "establishing an organization for the purpose of committing a crime," 30 counts of "rigging a tender," 19 counts of "forgery of private documents," 4 counts of "forgery of official documents," 7 counts of "bribery," 3 counts of "rigging the performance of an obligation," and "laundering assets derived from crime." The opinion requested that "effective remorse provisions be applied" for these defendants due to the information they provided to the prosecutor's office regarding the bribery acts.

It was requested that detained Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat be sentenced for "rigging a tender," "forgery of private documents," "forgery of official documents," "qualified fraud," "bribery," "laundering assets derived from crime," and "unjust acquisition, smuggling, or concealment of assets"; that detained Beşiktaş Deputy Mayor Ali Rıza Yılmaz be sentenced for "rigging a tender," "forgery of private documents," "forgery of official documents," and "qualified fraud"; and that non-detained defendant Beşiktaş Deputy Mayor Alican Abacı be sentenced for "rigging a tender," "forgery of private documents," "forgery of official documents," "qualified fraud," and "bribery."

The final opinion requested that Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere, Adana Metropolitan Mayor Zeydan Karalar, Ceyhan Mayor Kadir Aydar, detained Seyhan Mayor Oya Tekin, and her husband Celal Tekin be sentenced for "bribery," while it was stated that Ahmet Özer, who was removed from his post as Esenyurt Mayor, should be sentenced for "misconduct by negligence."

It was requested that removed Avcılar Mayor Utku Caner Çaykara be acquitted of the charge of "obstructing, hijacking, or detaining transport vehicles" and sentenced for the crime of "bribery."

In the final opinion, it was requested that detained Beşiktaş Deputy Mayor Ali Rıza Yılmaz and non-detained defendants Gülal Erdovan Anıl, Gülşah Ocak, and Zafer Ozan Ay be acquitted separately, as no evidence could be obtained that they committed the crime of "knowingly and willingly aiding a criminal organization."

The opinion requested that the detention of defendants Rıza Akpolat, Utku Caner Çaykara, Oya Tekin, Celal Tekin, Ceyhan Kayhan, Erhan Daka, and Özcan Zenger continue, and that detained defendants Ali Rıza Yılmaz, Burak Kangal, Kazım Gökhan Yankılıç, and Rabil Artan be released.