Testimony of security manager at hotel where cameras were turned off revealed: 'I didn't know it was a crime'

The investigation into corruption allegations concerning the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) and its suspended, imprisoned mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, continues.

As part of the investigation, detention warrants had been issued for Sinan Udil, the manager of the Le Meridien hotel where İmamoğlu entered and where cameras were turned off, and Osman Gündüz Bora Oğurlu, the security manager, on charges of 'destroying, concealing, or altering evidence of a crime.'

The detained suspects were referred to the Istanbul Courthouse after their procedures at the police station were completed. After testifying to the Prosecutor's Office, they were released by the duty magistrate under judicial control measures, including a travel ban.

"THEY HAD LARGE BLACK SUITCASES WITH THEM"

Meanwhile, the testimony given by the suspect, hotel security manager Osman Gündüz Bora Oğurlu, to the Prosecutor's Office has emerged.

Stating that he had been working there since March 2024, the suspect security manager Oğurlu said, "After I started working, I determined that İmamoğlu came to our hotel 37 times in 2024 and 9 times in 2025. Before he arrived at the hotel, his security team would come, check the meeting rooms, and they would have large black suitcases with them. I did not see cameras being turned off during his arrivals and departures; if we had witnessed it, we would have intervened. Our camera system does not have a warning system for when it is turned off or physically tampered with. I did not know there were jammers inside the suitcases they brought, but we also did not receive any complaints about problems with our hotel's communication system or internet network," he said.

"WE DID NOT QUESTION THE ITEMS THEY BROUGHT IN BAGS"

Stating that he did not know whether they paid for the hotel due to the meetings, the suspect said, "I learned about the footage from the press, just like everyone else. If I had seen the cameras being turned off, I would have intervened, or at least reported the situation to my superiors. I also knew his security detail as police officers. Due to their public titles, we did not question the items they brought in bags. I did not know there were jammers or that using a jammer was a crime. I do not accept the accusations," he said.

News Source: İHA