Halk TV owner Cafer Mahiroğlu gives statement as a 'suspect' in the CHP convention investigation!
Halk TV owner Cafer Mahiroğlu has given a statement as a suspect as part of the investigation launched into allegations that "votes were cast in exchange for money" at the 38th Ordinary Convention of the CHP. It was learned that Mahiroğlu, who is currently abroad, submitted his defense in writing through his lawyer due to travel restrictions caused by health issues.
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The investigation launched by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into the 38th Ordinary Convention of the CHP, held on November 4-5, 2023, continues.
It was learned that Halk TV Chairman of the Board Cafer Mahiroğlu provided a statement as a suspect within the scope of the investigation initiated over allegations that "votes were cast in exchange for money."
It was noted that Mahiroğlu, who is abroad and has travel restrictions due to health problems, submitted his defense in writing through his lawyer.
Mahiroğlu's lawyer, Sebla Öztürk Başarır, stated that the allegations against her client in the investigation file were "untrue, gossip, and slanderous in nature," noting that Mahiroğlu is a respected businessman in England and is among the 100 wealthiest people in the country.
Başarır stated that her client began his business life in the textile sector and, by investing in different fields over time, became a partner and executive of Özdemirler Bilişim, which operates in the construction sector, and that he invested in the media sector in 2020.
Lawyer Başarır stated that her client has been a supporter of the CHP since he was young and that his family supported the party, noting that his older brothers served as CHP convention delegates for three terms, but that her client was never a delegate.
"OBTAINING PRIVATE INFORMATION IN EXCHANGE FOR BENEFITS IS COMPLETELY FABRICATED"
Başarır argued that the allegations in witness statements that "Mahiroğlu brought Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's Chief of Staff Şükran Kütükçü to his side in exchange for benefits, and that Kütükçü went to London before the 2023 general elections and was hosted there by Mahiroğlu" do not reflect the truth, and stated the following:
"My client Cafer Mahiroğlu has an acquaintance with Şükran Kütükçü due to her being the TBMM Chief of Staff for former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, my client being a CHP voter, and my client's relatives having served in various levels of the CHP in the past. However, the claim that private information was obtained in exchange for benefits is irrational, completely fabricated, and consists of nothing more than lies from social media trolls."
Rejecting the allegations in the witness statement that "the real financier of Halk TV is Ekrem İmamoğlu, that the financial income of the advertising agreement between the CHP and Halk TV was canceled and cut off before the convention, and that for this reason, the channel acted operationally to steer the convention along with many of its journalists from June 2023 until the convention in November 2023," Başarır made the following statement:
"There is no prior commercial or political relationship or contact between my client and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu; their acquaintance exists solely because my client is a respected businessman in England and Turkey, and Ekrem İmamoğlu is the Mayor of the İBB, beyond my client being the deputy chairman of the board of Halk TV. Other than this, they have no political or commercial activities. Likewise, when considering real data such as my client's commercial history and his place among the 100 wealthiest people in England, it reveals that this issue alleged about my client has no connection to reality.
No advertising contract has been signed between Halk TV and the İBB. Likewise, no advertising contract was signed between the CHP and Halk TV, nor was any advertising fee paid, other than the advertisements that political parties give to television channels during election periods. Furthermore, since my client Cafer Mahiroğlu bought Halk TV in 2020, he has been targeted by a certain segment and there has been a systematic attempt to wear him down and damage his reputation in the eyes of the public."
DEMANDED A DECISION OF "NO GROUNDS FOR PROSECUTION"
Rejecting the witness statements regarding her client providing financial support to some delegates, Başarır argued that Mahiroğlu never entered the convention area that is the subject of the investigation, that he went to Ankara with his broadcast team as a CHP voter, and that he followed current developments from Halk TV's Ankara studio.
Lawyer Sebla Öztürk Başarır requested that a decision of "no grounds for prosecution" be issued regarding her client, Mahiroğlu.