Decision reached in Galatasaray black market ticket investigation
In the investigation regarding allegations of black market ticket sales, initiated following a criminal complaint by Galatasaray President Dursun Özbek, the prosecutor's office has decided not to pursue the case, stating that there was insufficient evidence to substantiate the claims.
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The investigation, which was launched following a criminal complaint filed by Galatasaray President Dursun Özbek on April 29 to investigate allegations that match tickets were being sold on the black market, has concluded.
WITNESS TESTIMONIES REMAINED ABSTRACT
As part of the investigation initiated by the criminal complaint, the prosecutor's office examined 46 reports made to the Presidential Communication Center and the police, and took the statements of 8 suspects. It was learned that the witnesses stated they had heard the allegations from others and did not possess any concrete information or documents. Although some witnesses indicated they would provide evidence, no documents were added to the file during the investigation process.
'NO EVIDENCE FOUND'
The prosecutor's office announced that no evidence was found to confirm the allegations that club executives and employees profited from black market ticket sales. Furthermore, it was emphasized that no findings were encountered indicating that tickets were produced electronically and sold physically to unauthorized persons.
TICKET SYSTEM EXAMINED
In the investigation, it was stated that the difficulties in purchasing tickets were evaluated within the framework of the ordinary course of life. It was noted that while approximately 5,000 to 6,000 tickets were offered for sale before matches, the number of users attempting to access the system ranged between 250,000 and 500,000. The prosecutor's office pointed out that this situation does not constitute evidence of a black market.
BOT ACCOUNTS COULD NOT BE INVESTIGATED
In the information provided to the prosecutor's office by the Galatasaray Sports Club, it was stated that bot accounts were effective in the ticket purchasing processes, but it was explained that a detailed investigation could not be conducted because these accounts were based abroad.
It was also stated that the allegations that 56 million euros in revenue were generated from the black market remained abstract in nature. It was noted that no evidence was found during the investigation process to support these claims, and that bank lists and fan information were consistent with the data provided by the club.
DECISION NOT TO PROSECUTE REACHED
The prosecutor's office issued a decision of non-prosecution for 23 suspects on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence to warrant the filing of a public lawsuit regarding the suspects having committed the alleged crime.