Gökalp İçer, on trial for fraud, acquitted after complaint is withdrawn

The allegation that Azerbaijani diplomats were defrauded of approximately 350 thousand dollars with the promise of high-yield funds in Turkey had hit the Turkish agenda like a bombshell. At the hearing held today at the Istanbul Courthouse, the lawyers of the defendant Gökalp İçer tried to prevent journalists from following the proceedings.

ALLEGATION THAT AZERBAIJANI DIPLOMATS WERE DEFRAUDED:

The first session of the case filed against Gökalp İçer, CEO of the crypto company ICRYPEX, and Murat Şirinov, who was determined to be registered as an employee at his company, regarding the allegation that Azerbaijani diplomats Farrukh Jumayev, Hasanali Hasanov, and Jeyhun Shahverdiyev were defrauded, was held today.

During the hearing, İçer argued that he had no connection to the accusation and explained that he had registered Şirinov as an employee at his company to prevent him from being deported.

REQUEST FOR A CONFIDENTIALITY ORDER

A criminal complaint had been filed against Gökalp İçer and Murat Şirinov, whom he had registered as an insured employee, on the grounds that they had committed qualified fraud. A lawsuit had been filed against İçer with a request for up to 7.5 years in prison.

Media organizations reporting on the subject had been pressured by İçer's lawyers to remove their news stories. The first hearing of the case was held at the Istanbul 10th High Criminal Court.

While İçer and Şirinov attended the hearing with their lawyers, the Azerbaijani diplomats did not attend.

Before the hearing, a request was made by İçer's lawyers to the security guards that 'Journalists should not be admitted.' Upon the security guards stating that they would not block members of the press, the lawyers then applied to the court panel.

It was requested that a confidentiality order be issued by the panel and that journalists be prevented from entering the courtroom.

The lawyers' request was not found appropriate by the judge and was rejected.

'THEY DID NOT LOSE MONEY, THEY MADE A PROFIT'

At the hearing, Murat Şirinov, one of the suspects, gave his defense first.

Stating that he managed forex accounts under a contract by trading through the user profiles of the Azerbaijani diplomats, Şirinov said that they had agreed to split profits over 4% in half, but that he had not received payment.

Şirinov also argued that the three Azerbaijani diplomats did not lose money. Şirinov also explained that the Azerbaijanis were government officials and that they entered the forex business in Turkey because it was forbidden for them to do other work.

In his defense, Gökalp İçer stated that he did not know the three diplomats, did not do business with them, and that Şirinov was doing business with a screen he rented from his own company.

In his statement, İçer said, "They called me in 2022, I invited them to my office. I also called Murat Şirinov and confronted them. They thought I might be involved as well. Jeyhun Shahverdiyev told me, 'We understood the situation. The matter has nothing to do with you.' They wanted to pressure me using their diplomatic identities and the media."

'I REGISTERED HIM AS AN EMPLOYEE AT MY COMPANY'

During the hearing, Gökalp İçer also explained his relationship with Murat Şirinov. İçer said that Şirinov, an Azerbaijani citizen, was at risk of being deported because his work permit had expired, and that he had come to him and asked for help. İçer stated that he registered Şirinov as an employee at his own human resources company, that they signed a contract in return, and that Şirinov was supposed to pay him a monthly fee; he also said that he had initiated enforcement proceedings against him because he did not pay.

Şirinov confirmed İçer's statements.

After the hearing, responding to a question from 12punto, Şirinov stated that he did not work at the company where he was registered as an employee and that he did not even know the name of the company.

Following the defenses, the court panel announced its decision. In the case where the complainants withdrew their complaint, the panel decided to acquit the defendants.

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

Three Azerbaijani diplomats, Farrukh Jumayev, Hasanali Hasanov, and Jeyhun Shahverdiyev, had filed a criminal complaint against Gökalp İçer, CEO of the cryptocurrency company ICRYPEX, and Murat Şirinov, who was determined to be registered as an employee at his company, on the grounds that they had been defrauded.

Upon the criminal complaint, an investigation was launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, and ICRYPEX owner Gökalp İçer began to be tried for fraud with a request for 7.5 years in prison under file number 2023/376 of the Istanbul 10th High Criminal Court.

It was learned that Farrukh Jumayev, Hasanali Hasanov, and Jeyhun Shahverdiyev, who were on duty at the Secretariat of the Organization of Turkic States, made their initial complaints at the beginning of 2023, and the indictment was prepared in October 2023.

When the initiation of the investigation and the trial of İçer and Şirinov appeared in the media, the three Azerbaijani diplomats sent an email to members of the press announcing that they had withdrawn their complaints and dismissed their lawyers on the same day.

News Source: Ercan Küçük