MASAK report in AHBAP investigation: Earthquake donations and financial transactions of famous names under scrutiny
The prosecutor's office is investigating how funds were used following high-value donations made to AHBAP accounts after 2023.
12punto
In the investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding allegations of a "criminal organization within AHBAP," high-value donations made to the AHBAP Association's accounts have been placed under scrutiny as part of the examinations by the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK).
The file states that, particularly following the February 6 Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes, numerous figures from the arts, media, and business worlds transferred money to the association with declarations of "earthquake aid" and "donations." It was noted that the investigation focuses on the use of the funds after they entered the association's accounts rather than on the activities of the donors themselves.
It was stated that there is no finding in the investigation file linking the donors mentioned to any crime or organizational activity, and that the donations are considered to have been made in good faith and for the purpose of helping earthquake victims.
THE USE OF DONATIONS IS AT THE FOCUS OF THE INVESTIGATION
It has been learned that the prosecutor's office and financial investigation units are researching the link between the donations entering the association's accounts and the payments leaving them. In this context, bank statements, donation receipts, accounting records, and expenditure documents will be compared.
The investigation will evaluate whether the donations were used in accordance with the purposes stated in the aid campaigns, to which individual or company accounts they were transferred, and whether they were fully recorded in the accounting books. Transfers made to company accounts or on behalf of third parties and their connections to the actual donors are also among the research topics.
According to MASAK records, high-value donations made to AHBAP Association accounts included 1 million TL each from Ajda Pekkan, Barış Arduç, Ebru Şahin, Hitt Müzik on behalf of Tarkan Tevetoğlu, Sibel Cangüre on behalf of Sibel Can, and businessman Nevzat Aydın.
The report stated that there is a second transaction record in the amount of 750 thousand 983 TL on behalf of Nevzat Aydın, that the description of this transaction includes the phrase "Galip M. Selçuk," and that the nature of the transaction is being investigated separately.
According to the records, Tolga Çevik donated 997 thousand 650 TL, Ali Atay 562 thousand 386 TL, Ebru Gündeş 500 thousand TL, Somer Sivrioğlu 500 thousand TL, Genco Erkal 500 thousand TL, Halit Ergenç a total of 400 thousand TL, and Hasan Can Kaya 320 thousand TL.
It was recorded that Danla Bilic and Can Yaman donated 250 thousand TL each; and Afra Saraçoğlu, Binnur Kaya, Beyazıt Öztürk, Aras Bulut İynemli, Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ, İbrahim Büyükak, Seray Kaya, Kerem Bürsin, and Engin Akyürek donated 200 thousand TL each.
It was stated that Melis Sezen, Leyla Hazal Atay, İrem Derici, Gülse Birsel, and Burak Deniz donated 150 thousand TL each; and Salih Bademci, Emir Ersoy, Gökhan Tepe, Sarp Apak, İbrahim Selim, Uraz Kaygılaroğlu, Elçin Sangu, and Esat Yontunç donated 100 thousand TL each.
The assessment in the file emphasized that merely making a money transfer does not mean that individuals are associated with a crime or organizational activity. It was stated that if it is determined that the donations were used for purposes other than those intended, the donors could be considered victims or parties harmed by the crime, rather than suspects.