Ekrem İmamoğlu trial adjourned

The trial of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, in which he is being tried as part of an investigation into 'bid rigging' during his time as Mayor of Beylikdüzü, was held today at the Büyükçekmece 10th Criminal Court of First Instance.

The hearing was adjourned until January 8.

FROM THE INDICTMENT

In the indictment prepared by the Büyükçekmece Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the Ministry of Interior is listed as the complainant, while Ekrem İmamoğlu, Cem Ülken, Fidan Gül, Hasan Çetin, Hilal Çuhadar, Mehmet Hepgül, and Türkan Demirel Dişisağlam are listed as defendants.

The indictment states that during the 'Personnel Employment and Cultural Arts Organization Service Procurement' tender on December 29, 2015, İmamoğlu was the Mayor of Beylikdüzü, and the other defendants were serving as directors and personnel at the municipality.

The indictment, which assesses that the defendants acted in unity of thought and action in the aforementioned tender conducted by the Beylikdüzü Municipality, stated the following:

“It is understood that the defendants committed the crime of 'bid rigging' by acting in favor of a tender-winning company in a way that caused public loss, by ensuring that persons who did not have the qualifications or conditions to participate in the tender could participate, and by evaluating the offered goods as if they possessed the required qualifications despite them not meeting the specifications, thereby causing the Beylikdüzü Municipality, which holds the status of a public institution, to pay an extra 250 thousand 86 lira, resulting in a public loss of 250 thousand 86 lira.”

The indictment seeks prison sentences ranging from three to seven years for each of the defendants, İmamoğlu, Ülken, Gül, Çetin, Çuhadar, Hepgül, and Dişisağlam, for the crime of 'bid rigging'.