Behind the scenes of the suicide of a key figure in the newborn scandal... Striking allegations in his email: The Fırat Sarı detail!

A new development has emerged in the trial in Istanbul of 46 people accused of making illicit profits by directing patients to the neonatal units of private hospitals and causing infant deaths. 

A tip-off email was sent to the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding Dr. İlker Gönen, who was included in the case file in which 25 defendants are being tried while in custody and who died by suicide in prison in recent months.

TIP-OFF AFTER THE SUICIDE PROMPTS PROSECUTORS TO ACT

As both judicial and administrative investigations into the death of Dr. İlker Gönen continue, the tip-off email received by prosecutors drew attention. The Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office took the allegations in the email seriously and launched an official investigation on April 16.

MONITORED OVER FEARS HE WOULD BECOME A COOPERATING WITNESS

According to the allegation in the email, when İlker Gönen was released after the first operation, Fırat Sarı, the leader of the structure referred to as the “Newborn Gang,” and those around him began to worry that Gönen might become a cooperating witness. 

 For this reason, it was alleged that one of the gang members was instructed to find out whether Gönen had become a cooperating witness. Although it is known that Gönen did not make any confession during the trial process, it was stated that the organization’s leader, Fırat Sarı, remained concerned that Gönen might speak.

PRESSURE ON SECRET WITNESSES, CLAIM THAT GÖNEN’S FAMILY WAS FOLLOWED

The tip-off also stated that during the investigation process, gang members identified the identities of secret witnesses, and that pressure was put on one of these witnesses, a nurse, and her family to change her statement. At the same time, it was alleged that a gang member who gathered information about Gönen’s family obtained detailed information about his wife and children.

“A VISITOR THREATENED GÖNEN IN PRISON”

One of the most striking allegations was that a person who went to the prison threatened İlker Gönen. The tip-off claimed that this person was connected to Fırat Sarı and that Gönen died by suicide shortly after this threat.

CHANGE OF LAWYER ALSO ON THE AGENDA

The tip-off email alleged that İlker Gönen’s lawyer, A.M., had previously had problems with Gönen and that after Gönen’s death, he took on the role of Fırat Sarı’s lawyer.

It was stated that this situation gave rise to suspicion that lawyer A.M. had acted according to a plan from the beginning of the process. It was learned that another investigation had also been launched against the lawyer in question by the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on February 3 because of social media posts he made after Gönen’s death.

PROSECUTORS TAKE ACTION

Following the email containing all these striking allegations, the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office officially launched an investigation as of April 16.