New development in the 'Çiftlik Bank' case: Mehmet Aydın, nicknamed 'Tosuncuk', makes his final defense

The trial of 20 defendants, including Mehmet Aydın, nicknamed "Tosuncuk," and his brother Fatih Aydın, who were arrested on charges of founding the system publicly known as "Çiftlik Bank," continued across 5 separate cases.

Five detained defendants, including Mehmet Aydın and Fatih Aydın, were brought from prison to the hearing of the 5 separate cases held at the Anatolian 6th High Criminal Court.

While the non-detained defendant Cafer Çolak, the complainants, and the defense attorneys were present at the hearing, one defendant connected to the court via the Audio and Video Information System (SEGBİS).

The public prosecutor reiterated the opinion on the merits presented in previous sessions, requesting that Mehmet Aydın and Fatih Aydın be sentenced for "establishing a criminal organization" and "laundering assets derived from crime," as well as for "fraud through information systems" in 4,414 separate instances.

In the opinion, which requested prison sentences of up to 88,302 years for each of the two defendants, varying prison sentences were also requested for the other defendants for different crimes.

Given the floor to present his defense, detained defendant Mehmet Aydın stated, "As I have said from the very beginning, I did not enter this business with the intent to defraud, and I did not defraud anyone. The investments I made are sufficient to cover the losses of the victims. They became victims because the state seized the assets; the money in the judicial repository can cover the victims' losses."

Fatih Aydın and the other detained defendants also claimed they had no connection to the organization and requested acquittal.

When the presiding judge asked the defendants for their final words, Mehmet Aydın said, "I did not act with the intent to defraud anyone. I did not make any false statements to the complainants; I request my acquittal."

Fatih Aydın said, "I am not a member of any organization. Most of the defendants do not know me. For me to be a leader, they would need to know me, and I do not know most of them either."

The panel adjourned the hearing until 14:30 to announce its verdict.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Mehmet Aydın, the founder of the system known as "Çiftlik Bank," which caused many citizens to become victims with promises of generating income, and who had been a fugitive for more than two years, was deported by Brazil at Turkey's request.

Aydın was detained on the plane at Istanbul Airport on July 3, 2021, and was arrested as part of an investigation launched upon the complaints of 102 victims on charges of "establishing an organization for the purpose of committing a crime," "fraud by using information systems, banks, or credit institutions as tools," and "fraud by merchants or company managers and cooperative managers."

FATİH AYDIN WAS CAPTURED IN URUGUAY AND HANDED OVER TO TURKEY

Fatih Aydın, who was sought as a fugitive as part of the investigation into the "Çiftlik Bank" system on charges of "violation of the Banking Law," "establishing an organization for the purpose of committing a crime," "laundering assets derived from crime," "fraud by using information systems, banks, or credit institutions as tools," and "fraud by merchants or company managers and cooperative managers," was captured in an operation held in Uruguay in July 2021.

THE DEFENDANT BROUGHT TO TURKEY WAS ARRESTED BY THE JUDGESHIP HE WAS REFERRED TO.

Osman Naim Kaya, who was sought with a red notice for crimes such as "money laundering," "tax evasion," "being a member of a criminal organization," and "fraud," and who was brought to Istanbul on April 8 after the application for his extradition to Turkey was accepted, was also arrested and sent to prison.

In the 5 separate indictments prepared by the Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the Çiftlik Bank system, prison sentences ranging from 25,699 years to 85,646 years were requested for Mehmet Aydın and Fatih Aydın on the grounds that they victimized 4,582 people on charges of "establishing and managing an organization for the purpose of committing a crime," "qualified fraud by using information systems as tools," and "qualified fraud within the scope of commercial company activities."

In the indictments, prison sentences were also requested for 18 other defendants in addition to the Aydın brothers for similar crimes.

The Anatolian 6th High Criminal Court had ruled at the hearing held on September 15, 2023, to merge 4 files with the main case.