Striking claim in the Aziz İhsan Aktaş investigation: Pre-2019 documents left on the shelf

An indictment was recently prepared against Aziz İhsan Aktaş, who was arrested on charges of being a criminal organization leader in operations targeting CHP-run municipalities, most notably the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB), and was released after becoming a whistleblower.

The prepared indictment alleges that the organization founded by Aktaş began its activities in 2014, showed growth in 2016, and experienced its most powerful period after 2019.

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel had repeatedly stated that Aktaş received tenders not only from CHP-run municipalities but also from AKP-run ones. Emphasizing that the operations were politically motivated, Özel stated that "the most tenders were awarded by AKP-run municipalities."

CLAIM THAT 'THE PROSECUTION DID NOT REQUEST PRE-2019 TENDER FILES'

Nefes Gazetesi columnist Aytunç Erkin reported that during a television program, journalist Hadi Özışık asked Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek whether tenders between 2014 and 2019 were also being examined, to which Gürlek replied that "tenders prior to 2019 are also under scrutiny."

However, according to Erkin's column, objections have been raised from the CHP side regarding this issue. CHP members stated that the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office sent official letters to municipalities and their affiliated companies requesting information regarding the tenders awarded to Aktaş. It is alleged that while the municipalities submitted 600 folders of files to the prosecutor's office, the prosecution requested only the documents belonging to the period after 2019.

News Source: 12punto