Indictment ready in investigation into CHP convention! Date set for cancellation lawsuit

The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has reached the end of its investigation into allegations that "votes were cast in exchange for money" at the CHP's 38th Ordinary Convention, held on November 4-5, 2023.

The Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office received the application on November 19, 2023, following a complaint by E.Ç. regarding votes being cast for money at the CHP's 38th Ordinary Convention, but issued a decision of lack of jurisdiction and sent the file to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on December 22, 2023.

In January 2024, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into the allegation of "tampering with the vote", which is regulated under Article 112 of the Law on Political Parties.

Within the scope of the investigation, former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and former Deputy Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Akif Hamzaçebi were summoned to testify as witnesses due to statements they made regarding the incident on press and social media platforms.

A CHP member and party delegate who voted at the convention also applied to the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and testified as a witness and person with knowledge regarding the allegations of irregularities. In line with these testimonies, 114 people were recorded as suspects.

The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office meticulously examined the allegations that benefits were provided to some party representatives and that irregularities were committed during the convention process, and included the CHP delegate list from the Supreme Election Council (YSK) in the investigation file.

Within the scope of the investigation, the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, which requested information and documents from the report and its annexes obtained by the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre's Department of Land Registry, and the Social Security Institution, also added the security camera footage of companies to the file regarding allegations that money was transferred to convention delegates from currency exchange offices in Istanbul.

In this context, all financial movements, such as money transfers and asset acquisitions, between August 1, 2023, and August 1, 2024, regarding the companies and suspects mentioned in the file were examined. In addition, information on crypto asset accounts registered in the names of the individuals was also included in the scope of the investigation.

FOOTAGE FROM THE DAY OF THE CONVENTION WAS ALSO EXAMINED

In the investigation, camera footage from media organizations filming in the hall on the day of the convention was also examined; efforts were made to identify crimes and elements of crime. All footage related to the 38th Ordinary Convention (including raw data and footage not shared in the live broadcast) was entered into the case file.

It was requested that the internal and external security camera records of the hotel in Ankara where the delegates stayed, which were mentioned in witness statements, be extracted and delivered to police units, but it was reported that the hotel management could only store camera system footage for a maximum of 1 month and that the footage was not in the archive because the requested date was old.

The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office summoned former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to testify again, this time as a "victim" within the scope of the evidence.

FILES OF 9 PEOPLE, INCLUDING ÖZGÜR ÖZEL, WERE SEPARATED

The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office sent a letter to the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) requesting an examination of the communication records of 51 people, including Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was removed from his post as Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality following his arrest as part of a corruption investigation, İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Cemil Tugay, and CHP Istanbul Provincial Chairman Özgür Çelik; the office included the suspects' call, incoming call, short message (SMS), and base station location information between August 1, 2023, and August 1, 2024, in the file.

In addition, the files of Manisa MP Özgür Özel, Balıkesir MP Ensar Aytekin, Mersin MP Ali Mahir Başarır, Istanbul MP Gökhan Günaydın, Bursa MP Nurhayat Altaca Kayışoğlu, Istanbul MP Özgür Karabat, Ankara MP Umut Akdoğan, Malatya MP Veli Ağbaba, and Istanbul MP Turan Taşkın Özer, who were included in the file as suspects, were separated.

It was noted that the investigations in the separated files would be conducted by the Parliamentary Crimes Investigation Bureau for the crime of "opposition to the Law on Political Parties".

It was learned that the public prosecutor conducting the investigation has completed the indictment and that the file will be sent to the criminal court of first instance in the coming days.

CONVENTION CANCELLATION LAWSUIT ON MAY 26

On the other hand, former Hatay Mayor Lütfü Savaş and some delegates filed a lawsuit in civil courts for the cancellation of the CHP's convention held on November 4-5, 2023.

The cancellation requests were consolidated at the Ankara 42nd Civil Court of First Instance, and the case was adjourned to May 26.