Striking 'secret witness' development in the Ayhan Bora Kaplan investigation!
Sözcü columnist Saygı Öztürk wrote that some secret witnesses have retracted their statements following allegations by Serdar Sertçelik, who is accused of being the number two in the criminal organization and a secret witness in the investigation into Bora Kaplan, who was arrested on charges of leading an organized crime group, that he was coerced by the Ankara police.
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Serdar Sertçelik, who is alleged to be a henchman of Ayhan Bora Kaplan—who was arrested in Ankara on charges of leading an organized crime group—and the number two of the organization, had made statements accusing the Ankara police, saying, "They forced me to sign a 19-page statement full of lies and slander."
"I GAVE IT UNDER DURESS AND THREAT"
Sözcü Columnist Saygı Öztürk reported on the new developments in his column today.
Öztürk stated that the second "secret witness" of the case, codenamed “Ü5W1G8K6L3,” had provided a 6-page statement detailing the structure of the Bora Kaplan gang and naming individuals he knew to have committed crimes, and made the following claim regarding Serdar Sertçelik, who fled abroad:
“He introduced himself as a partner of Elmacı markets. As far as I know, he previously held an important position within the organization. However, because he could not fully carry out his duties within the scope of the organization in accordance with instructions, he was targeted by Bora Kaplan and his position within the organization diminished over time. However, he is still part of the organization.”
Writing that “the fact that the Bora Kaplan criminal organization is on the agenda has led some witnesses to start retracting the statements they gave regarding this group, which they perceive as powerful,” Öztürk noted that the secret witness codenamed “Ü5W1G8K6L3” also wrote in a petition dated May 15, 2024, sent to the Presidency of the Ankara 32nd High Criminal Court, where the trial is being held: “I am the witness with the codename Ü5W1G8K6L3. My previous statement in your court does not reflect the truth. I gave it under duress and threat. It is not true.”