It became a grave for 21 people in the earthquake: 19 years in prison for the contractor, 16 for the architect

The final hearing was held in the case concerning the Gölgeler Apartment in Antep, which collapsed during the earthquakes on February 6, 2023, resulting in the deaths of 21 people. The detained defendants, contractor Mehmet Necati Gölgeler and architect İhsan Çeven, attended the hearing at the Gaziantep 11th High Criminal Court via the Audio and Visual Information System (SEGBİS), while their lawyers were present in the courtroom.

Defendant Gölgeler denied the accusations, claiming that he did not even drive a single nail into any part of the building. Defendant İhsan Çeven stated that he had prepared a technically approved project and rejected the allegations against him.

The court panel sentenced Gölgeler to 19 years and 6 months in prison for the crime of 'causing the death and injury of more than one person through conscious negligence,' and sentenced Çeven to 16 years and 3 months for the same crime, ruling that the defendants remain in custody.

The panel also filed a criminal complaint against individuals identified as having responsibility in the expert report included in the case file.

Following an investigation conducted by the Gaziantep Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into the Gölgeler Apartment, which collapsed in the İncilipınar neighborhood of the central Şehitkamil district during the 7.7-magnitude earthquake centered in Pazarcık, resulting in 21 deaths and numerous injuries, a lawsuit had been filed against Gölgeler and Çeven.

News Source: 12punto