Flash development in the case of the Sait Bey Site, where 44 people lost their lives in the Maraş earthquake

Following an appeal in the case of the Sait Bey Site, which was destroyed in the February 6 Maraş-centered earthquakes despite being built under urban transformation in the Dulkadiroğlu district of Maraş and became a tomb for 44 people, permission has been granted for the trial of seven public officials.

According to a report in Birgün, the Kahramanmaraş Chief Public Prosecutor's Office had an expert report prepared by seven academics from Karadeniz Technical University (KTÜ) regarding the Sait Bey Site.

In the report, which lists many irregularities, it was stated: "After the construction of Block A was completed, the mezzanine section of the building was turned into a floor by completing it with steel construction and concrete. After the building's construction, operations not found in its projects were carried out. This negatively affected the building's load-bearing system."

At the end of the investigation, an indictment was prepared for the site's contractor Hasan Çam, site manager suspect Halil İbrahim Us, static project and application inspection officer Yavuz Kaygısız, building inspection company owner Halil Yıldız, and building inspection company control personnel Melike Yıldız, seeking prison sentences ranging from 2 years and 8 months to 22.5 years.

'NOT GRANTING PERMISSION IS NOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW'

However, an investigation permit had not been granted for the public officials responsible for the destruction. The Sixth Administrative Litigation Chamber of the Gaziantep Regional Administrative Court reviewed the appeal and granted the investigation permit for the public officials.

The decision included the following statements: "Considering that many of our citizens lost their lives as a result of the collapse of the building, for which construction works and licenses were approved by municipal officials, and that the expert report prepared by faculty members of the Karadeniz Technical University Faculty of Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, within the scope of the investigation conducted by the Kahramanmaraş Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, also contains findings that the Municipal Control unit officials were partially at fault due to insufficient reinforcement detailing and material quality during the construction phase, it has been concluded that there is sufficient suspicion of crime to conduct a judicial investigation into the incident, and that the issue of whether the aforementioned officials had negligence requiring criminal liability can be revealed through a comprehensive judicial investigation; therefore, the decision subject to the appeal not to grant an investigation permit was not found to be in accordance with the law."

The public officials for whom an investigation permit was granted and whose trial has been paved by the unanimous decision are as follows:

-Arzu Özaydın
-Ömer Taşdemir
-Serap Binici
-Öner Gürbüzel
-Cengiz Murat Özaydın
-Yücel Tuncay Polat
-Serhat Aktemur

TEVFİK GÖKSU'S RELATIVE IS ALSO BEING TRIED

On July 18, it was decided to release Halil Yıldız and application inspector Yavuz Kaygısız under judicial control. It emerged that Halil Yıldız, the owner of the released Sehay Building Inspection firm, is a relative of Esenler Mayor Tevfik Göksu from the AK Party. Halil Yıldız is the brother of Tevfik Göksu's wife, Hacer Yıldız. Furthermore, Halil Yıldız is being represented by former AK Party Maraş Provincial Chairman Metin Doğan.

News Source: 12punto