Journalist Cem Küçük, who was detained as part of an investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, has been arrested by the duty Magistrate Judge to whom he was referred.
Following his detention by gendarmerie teams, Küçük was taken to the Istanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan. After his statement was taken by the prosecutor, he was referred to the court with a request for his arrest on charges of "publicly disseminating misleading information."
In the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office's briefing note, it was stated that Küçük was referred to the court under the charge of "publicly disseminating misleading information," which is regulated under Article 217-A of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK). It was noted that at the beginning of the investigation, the file included charges of "publicly disseminating misleading information and blackmail."
In the arrest request document, certain statements made by Küçük during live broadcasts on different dates were cited as grounds. The document stated that regarding Fatih Keleş, who is currently under arrest as part of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) investigation, Küçük had claimed, "2 million dollars in cash was found under the floorboards in Fatih Keleş's house."
The prosecutor's document also stated that in another broadcast, Küçük used the expressions, "He received nearly 1 million TL from the İBB, it is in the MASAK reports," referring to Berkay Gezgin. The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office noted that these statements were contrary to the truth.
The arrest decision for Cem Küçük was issued after his court interrogation was completed at midnight. It was recorded that when asked about his monthly income during his statement to the prosecutor, Küçük declared his total monthly salary income to be 43,600 TL.
News Source: 12punto
