'The Big Radish' press conference had caused a stir: Ekrem İmamoğlu is in court once again

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor and presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu has faced a legal process following his press conference in Saraçhane titled 'The Big Radish' regarding expert witness S.B. İmamoğlu, who has been detained for 192 days, appeared before a judge for the first time today (September 26) due to his statements made on January 27, 2023.

The accusations against İmamoğlu include allegations such as "attempting to influence an expert witness and a witness" and "attempting to influence a fair trial." These charges are based on the statements İmamoğlu made about S.B. during the press conference in Saraçhane. It is noted that in his statements, İmamoğlu made serious allegations regarding the reports of S.B., who has served as an expert witness in various cases.

HE DID NOT ATTEND THE FIRST HEARING

The first hearing, which was scheduled to be held on June 12, was moved from the Çağlayan Courthouse to the courtroom at the Silivri Prison complex by a last-minute decision. Reacting to this change, İmamoğlu and his lawyers decided not to attend the hearing. In a statement he made on social media, İmamoğlu said, "You are filing lawsuits against the very breath we take. The prosecutor of every case is the same, the expert witness is the same, the lawlessness is the same," expressing that the trial process was irregular.

In his statement, İmamoğlu also noted the following: "Changing the venue of the trial is a practice that hinders our right to defense. I do not accept such arbitrary practices. I trust the independent Turkish judiciary, but I refuse to be a part of this process."

ALLEGATIONS IN IMAMOĞLU'S 'THE BIG RADISH' PRESENTATION

İmamoğlu made various allegations regarding S.B., who has served as an expert witness in cases against CHP-run municipalities. In a case opened regarding a tender during his time as the Mayor of Beylikdüzü, İmamoğlu had claimed that "S.B. submitted a non-existent report to the court." Furthermore, he questioned why, despite there being 8,800 expert witnesses in Istanbul, his files were consistently assigned to the same person.

Ekrem İmamoğlu had stated that S.B. also took part in the IETT and ISPARK files. In addition to this, İmamoğlu pointed out that a report signed solely by S.B., who was also involved in the Beşiktaş and Esenyurt investigations, was considered valid, and he expressed that this report was used as a justification for the arrest of Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer.