IMM indictment: Evidence from a single photo, crimes derived from feelings
In the indictment where thousands of years of imprisonment are demanded for İmamoğlu, it was revealed that while espionage claims were based on a single photograph, some informants' claims regarding millions of dollars in crimes were based on their own feelings. Journalist Osman Çaklı evaluated the prominent details of the İmamoğlu Indictment for 12punto.
12punto
The accusations in the approximately 4,000-page Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) indictment, prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, are based on the statements of informants and 15 secret witnesses. One of the debates the indictment has sparked in the public eye is that this is a political settling of scores. It is noteworthy that the secret witnesses, who are cited as the source for many criminal allegations—including bid rigging, the funding of opposition media and journalists such as Halk TV and TELE1, and espionage—did not directly witness the crimes they alleged.
The indictment, which took months for the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office to prepare, entered the public agenda amidst controversy. In the indictment, which consists of 143 actions and 402 suspects, the prosecution is demanding thousands of years of imprisonment for CHP's presidential candidate and IMM Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. So, what are the highlights of the indictment?
76 REFERENCES TO SECRET WITNESS ÇINAR: 'IT WAS BEING GIVEN, IT WAS HAPPENING'
One of the most vocal figures regarding "bid rigging," one of the criminal allegations forming the basis of the indictment, is the secret witness Çınar. The word "tender" (bid) appears a total of 31,635 times in the indictment. The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has referred to Çınar's statement 76 times.
In his statement, secret witness Çınar mentions cash flow involving Emrah Bağdatlı and Nihat Sütlaş, using the phrase: "They were helping with the distribution of cash. This money was being given to Halk TV, TELE 1, Milli Gazete, and some YouTubers."
The indictment uses copies of Çınar's statement repeatedly in different places, using them as a basis to observe irregularities in tenders conducted within the scope of organizations and events, thereby laying the groundwork for bid-rigging charges.
"THOSE WHO FEEL THE CRIME" IN THE INDICTMENT
In the statement of a suspect working at the IMM Information Technology Department, regarding the processing and sale of data—which also forms the basis for data breach or espionage allegations—the suspect stated that there were areas they were not authorized to access, that they had no knowledge of the matter, and that, based on their observations of their managers, they "felt" that the data was being sent to the USA and Germany.
Another suspect, Güngör G., uses a similar expression: "Starting from the first month of 2025, I felt that some irregularities were going on. I didn't have much dialogue with Murat Kapki anyway, so I couldn't ask him many questions. Murat Kapki was also uneasy around the same dates. It was as if he knew there was an investigation file against him and that he would be detained."
A SINGLE PHOTO COUNTED AS EVIDENCE FOR ESPIONAGE
On the other hand, there were striking details in the indictment regarding Hüseyin Gün, known in the public eye as a spy, whose case most recently led to the arrest of journalist Merdan Yanardağ. Ekrem İmamoğlu is shown as the leader of the organizational chart created by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in the indictment. Hüseyin Gün is shown under İmamoğlu within the hierarchical structure of the same criminal organization. However, according to the indictment, a single photograph is presented as the basis for linking Hüseyin Gün to İmamoğlu. It can also be seen in open sources that Hüseyin Gün previously had relationships with various politicians and has photographs with them.
HOW MANY TIMES DOES IT APPEAR IN THE INDICTMENT?
The presence of statements expressing personal opinions and views hundreds of times in the indictment has caused reactions. In the indictment, the following expressions appeared: "As far as I remember" 969 times, "I don't know" 774 times, "allegedly/they said/it is said" (Turkish suffixes -mış/-miş/-muş) 691 times, "I heard" 546 times, "As far as I know" 516 times, "It could be" 499 times, "I learned" 401 times, "He/she had said" 347 times, "I think" 235 times, "I might be" 136 times, "It was said" 83 times, "According to what I heard" 62 times, "I am thinking" 59 times, "I learned from a source" 52 times, "I do not know" 51 times, "Probably" 37 times, "I had heard" 36 times, "I was hearing" 9 times, and "I felt" 9 times.