Sezgin Baran Korkmaz makes 'Reza Zarrab' reference from the US

When a microphone was extended to him there, Sezgin Baran Korkmaz said, "I did not flee from Turkey. An arrest warrant was issued for me while I was abroad.

A second Reza Zarrab case will not come out of me. If my conscience were not clear, I would not be able to walk these streets," he stated.

CNN Türk Washington Representative Yunus Paksoy recounted those moments and the dialogue he had with Korkmaz during a live broadcast.

Paksoy's statements are as follows:

"THERE WAS NO CONCERN ABOUT HIDING OR FLEEING"

"Today, as our viewers saw just a moment ago, the Turkish Day Parade is taking place behind me. These images you see were from the very beginning. I captured the footage. I asked him, 'We were expecting to see you in Turkey.'

He said, 'In 2 months.' He said, 'I will return to Turkey in 2 months,' and left. There was no concern about hiding or fleeing in any way. He was chatting with people right there.

He was right in the middle of the crowd. He was walking around here quite comfortably. He was very cheerful. When I went up to him and asked, he gave the profile of a person who was smiling and laughing."

"A SECOND REZA ZARRAB CASE WILL NOT COME OUT OF ME"

Speaking on the live broadcast, Sezgin Baran Korkmaz made the following statements:

"There is no secret investigation being conducted against me in the US. A second Reza Zarrab case will not come out of me.

I will explain the service I provided to that country when I set foot on my homeland's soil and return. If my conscience were not clear, I would not be able to walk these streets.

I employed thousands of people, we accounted for everything with a clear conscience, and I will return to my homeland with a clear conscience.

"THERE WAS NO ARREST WARRANT OR TRAVEL BAN AGAINST ME"

I did not flee from Turkey. An arrest warrant was issued for me while I was abroad. When I was in Turkey, there was no arrest warrant or travel ban against me.

In May 2020, my lawyers told the court in Turkey, 'Lift the arrest warrant for my client, and my client will come to his country and testify.'

The court did not accept this, even though the upper limit was 5 years.

"AFTER ALL MY LEGAL STRUGGLES TO RETURN TO MY COUNTRY FAILED, I WAS EXTRADITED TO THE US"

While I was in Austria, the US issued an arrest warrant for me based on the MASAK report in Turkey. After my trial in Austria continued for 1 year due to the arrest warrant there, and after all my legal struggles to return to my country failed, I was extradited to the US. Once my trial here in the US ends, if I am found innocent by a jury on the money laundering charges, I cannot be tried twice for the same crime when I return to my country."

Sezgin Baran Korkmaz makes 'Reza Zarrab' reference from the UShttps://t.co/zyLnw3bnVd pic.twitter.com/gU3V5CFfB9

— 12punto (@12puntocomtr) May 18, 2024

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

Sezgin Baran Korkmaz, who was revealed to have ties to a company convicted of 'tax fraud' in the US state of Utah, had gone abroad in December 2020 while an investigation was being conducted against him in Turkey on charges of 'money laundering'.

Korkmaz, who faced up to 7 years and 6 months in prison for allegedly laundering 132 million dollars through 6 companies he owned, was caught in Austria and extradited to the US.

Korkmaz was arrested as part of a case opened in the US on allegations of "laundering money unfairly obtained as incentives from the tax office, wire fraud, and involvement in a 1 billion dollar biodiesel fraud scheme."

Korkmaz, who became a cooperating witness, was released in August 2023.

News Source: 12punto