New details on the secret witness in the IMM investigation: Who turned out to be testifying against İmamoğlu?

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) executives, including CHP's presidential candidate and IMM Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and his staff, were arrested on March 19 after being taken into custody. According to a report by Altan Sancar from Kısa Dalga, while 'corruption' allegations are among the charges brought against IMM executives, it has been noted that a significant portion of the witness statements belong to individuals who received tenders during the AKP era but were unable to win tenders after the CHP took office.

STATEMENTS CAME FROM THOSE WHO RECEIVED TENDERS DURING THE AKP ERA 

According to the report by Kısa Dalga, statements regarding outdoor advertising spaces held a significant place among the questions directed at İmamoğlu by the prosecutor's office. It was revealed that the majority of the witness testimonies belong to individuals who won tenders affiliated with the IMM during the AKP era but claimed that this process changed during the CHP period.

WITNESS SPEAKS: 'TENDERS WERE DETERMINED IN ADVANCE'

A witness whose identity is kept confidential and who gave a statement on January 29, 2025, claimed to work in the advertising sector and to have a long-standing history in the industry, alleging that tenders held by Kültür A.Ş. after 2019 were awarded to pre-determined companies.

The witness used the following expressions in their statement:

"After 2019, during the Ekrem İmamoğlu era, it was determined in advance who would be awarded the tenders held by Kültür A.Ş., and the specifications were drafted according to the company that would receive the tender. My company also participated in these types of tenders, but we could not win."

'PERMITS BECAME DIFFICULT, SOME PAYMENTS WERE DEMANDED'

 Another witness, whose statement was taken on February 7, 2025, claimed that their company could not obtain advertising permits and that despite official invoices being issued, these payments were unofficial.

Another witness, whose statement was sought on January 30, 2025, claimed to have been 'victimized' when the CHP administration took office in 2019, stating that they applied to the prosecutor's office in 2021 and filed a complaint regarding the IMM administration.

ALLEGATION THAT PERMIT PROCESSES CHANGED

Another witness claimed that it became difficult to obtain advertising space permits from the IMM.

The witness used the following words in their statement:

"Before the 2019 municipal elections, the Municipal Urban Design Directorate managed the permit process. After paying the taxes, there were no problems in obtaining permits. However, after Ekrem İmamoğlu was elected mayor, this process changed. Obtaining permits became difficult, and certain payments were demanded from companies like ours in exchange for permits."

ALLEGATION OF 'BAGS I THOUGHT CONTAINED MONEY' 

A witness statement regarding İmamoğlu's advisor Murat Ongun also drew attention. It was alleged that Ongun, who was claimed to have held meetings at a cafe in Beylikdüzü, left the meetings carrying bags.

In the witness statement, the witness admitted they did not directly see money in the bags Ongun was carrying, but used the phrase, "Bags that I thought contained money."

Murat Ongun, on the other hand, stated that he was the one who requested the transfer of advertising space tenders from Medya A.Ş to Kültür A.Ş, explaining the reasoning behind his decision with these words: "As I am İmamoğlu's advisor, I did not want my name to be associated with the tenders."