Details on the arrest requests for Adana Metropolitan Mayor Karalar and Adıyaman Deputy Mayor Kayhan

The investigation into allegations that a criminal organization organized tender processes by bribing mayors, including Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, continues. Details regarding the suspects, including Adana Metropolitan Mayor Zeydan Karalar and Adıyaman Deputy Mayor Ceyhan Kayhan, for whom arrest has been requested as part of the investigation, have emerged in the referral document sent by the Prosecutor's Office to the Criminal Court of Peace.

ALLEGATION OF UNJUST DEMAND FOR MONEY

The referral document states that while suspect Zeydan Karalar was the Mayor of Seyhan, he met with Baki N., the owner of the contractor firm handling the municipality's cleaning services, and made an unjust demand for money as part of progress payment settlements. It is alleged that he later directed the firm officials to Özcan Z., an employee responsible for the municipality's cleaning services, stating that they should discuss this matter with him. It was reported that after the firm officials met with Özcan Z., they met with him on several different dates in Istanbul and Adana, and that the money sent to their accounts was withdrawn from the bank and delivered to Özcan Z. in person.

ALLEGATION THAT KARALAR OBTAINED FINANCIAL GAIN THROUGH PRESSURE

The referral document notes that it would not be consistent with the ordinary flow of life for suspect Baki N. and some witnesses to have fabricated actions from approximately 6-7 years ago. It states that they kept records of the payments at the time, as it would otherwise be impossible to remember these actions after such a long time. It was noted that while there may have been many payments sent to witnesses or withdrawn from the company account, given that they concretized which money was given to whom and on what date, it was concluded that they kept records at the time the money was given and made their identifications to the Prosecutor's Office accordingly. It was reported that suspects Zeydan Karalar and Özcan Z. obtained financial gain from company officials through pressure exerted during progress payment settlements, thereby committing the crime of 'extortion'.

ALLEGATION THAT KAYHAN OBTAINED FINANCIAL GAIN FROM THE CONTRACTOR FIRM HANDLING MUNICIPAL CLEANING SERVICES

The referral document states that Ceyhan Kayhan, while serving as the Deputy Mayor of Adıyaman, obtained financial gain from the contractor firm handling the municipality's cleaning services, both to his personal account and in cash. Although the contractor firm official, acting as a witness, stated that he 'met with the Mayor and was directed to the deputy mayor,' suspect Abdurrahman Tutdere stated in his testimony that he did not know the company official. Considering that suspect Ceyhan Kayhan received cash in İzmir, had money transferred to his personal account, and had the contractor firm official make a payment to a firm in Adıyaman, and that the person who made the payment was aware of the instruction sent to Adıyaman during his second statement as a witness and persistently called the witness while he was at the Prosecutor's Office, it was noted that there is strong suspicion of a crime regarding the allegations against Ceyhan Kayhan. Furthermore, it was noted that suspect Ceyhan Kayhan forced firm officials to pay money as part of progress payment settlements, thereby obtaining financial gain and committing the crime of 'extortion'.

ALLEGATION THAT RIZA AKPOLAT PURCHASED LUXURY APARTMENTS IN THE NAMES OF HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW AND BROTHER-IN-LAW'S BROTHER

The referral document states that suspects Kazım Gökhan Y., Burak K., and Rabil A. attempted to launder assets obtained by former Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat from crime by registering them in their own names. It was reported that an 'Audi S8' brand vehicle was registered to Rabil A. but used by Rıza Akpolat; that Rıza Akpolat's ex-wife, Derya Ö., resided in a property registered to Rabil A.; that Rıza Akpolat resided in a luxury residence apartment registered to his brother-in-law, Kazım Gökhan Y.; and that a duplex villa was purchased in the Acarkent site, one of the most luxurious sites in Istanbul, in the name of Akpolat's brother-in-law's brother, Burak K., and that the villa was found to be vacant.

The referral document states that the money for all these vehicles and properties was not found in bank accounts, and that payments were made in cash. It was reported that 25 million liras sent from Burak K.'s account for the villa in Acarkent was deposited into the account by the suspect and sent to the seller's account, but the source of this money prior to that was unknown, and the suspect claimed he had converted foreign currency he had at home and deposited it into his account. The document also states that it is evident from real estate websites that it is impossible to purchase a villa of the same type in the site where the property he claims to have bought for 25 million liras is located for that price or even double that amount. It was stated that Rıza Akpolat attempted to launder the source of his assets by registering the properties and vehicles he purchased with the illicit financial gains he obtained through his mayoral duties in the names of his friends and in-laws, and that the suspects participated in this action by Akpolat.

For the reasons explained in the referral document, the arrest of suspects Zeydan Karalar, Ceyhan Kayhan, and Özcan Z. was requested for the crime of 'extortion by coercion', and the arrest of Burak K., Kazım Gökhan Y., and Rabil A. was requested for the crime of 'laundering assets derived from crime'.

News Source: İHA