They had received 550 million TL in loans for their companies! 15 questions for Minister Şimşek regarding Ayhan Bora Kaplan

The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office Bureau of Investigation for Smuggling and Organized Crime and the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office Bureau for Laundering of Assets Derived from Crime requested the preparation of an "Evaluation Report on Money Laundering" by MASAK regarding Ayhan Bora Kaplan's companies, which was issued on December 18, 2023, under number 2023-1103-9. 

While the report contained striking allegations, the fact that 550 million liras in loans had been obtained also came to the agenda.

CHP MP Yüksel Mansur Kılınç submitted a 15-question parliamentary inquiry for Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek to answer.

"IF THERE ARE UNPAID LOANS, HOW MUCH?"

As reported by Saygı Öztürk from Sözcü, the questions Kılınç directed to Minister Şimşek are as follows:

1- Which companies were seized as part of the ABK Criminal Organization investigation and had their management transferred to the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF)?

2- Between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2023, which public-capital deposit banks provided loans to the companies that were seized and transferred to the TMSF, on what dates, and in what amounts?

3- If loans were provided by public-capital deposit banks to the companies that were seized and transferred to the TMSF, were these loans repaid? If there are unpaid loans, how much?

4- If loans were provided to ABK companies, what collateral was taken in exchange for these loans?

"WAS IT REPORTED TO MASAK?"

5- How many times did the defendants in the ABK Criminal Organization case and the companies whose management was transferred to the TMSF by court order due to their connection to ABK benefit from the Wealth Amnesty regulation? What is the amount of the capital market instruments?

6- In his statement to the prosecutor, ABK said, "We established so many companies because the officials at the bank where we used loans told us to acquire companies in different business lines." Who are these officials, and have their connections to the organization and their assets been investigated?

7- Have the allegations that K.Ö., who was part of the criminal organization, received unsecured loans from a public bank through his brother K.Ö. been investigated? On what date and for what reason was K.Ö. removed from the bank's coordination position?

8- In the MASAK report, ABK appears in the Social Security Institution (SGK) employment records as a 'Waiter (Service staff)' until 2020, and there is no activity in his bank accounts. However, in 2020 and thereafter, he carried out high cash transaction amounts and money transfers that are contrary to the ordinary flow of life. Was this activity reported to MASAK?

9- Between 2006 and 2019, ABK underwent prosecution and investigation for 89 crimes, including "drug trafficking," "intentional killing," "intentional injury," "establishing an organization for the purpose of committing crimes," "possession and use of drugs," "forgery of official documents," "theft," "using others' identity information," "membership in an armed terrorist organization," "breaking a seal," "resisting to prevent the performance of duty," "counterfeiting money," and "firing a weapon." Why were the commercial activities of ABK, who has such a criminal record, not investigated by MASAK until December 2023?

CAPITAL INCREASE ALLEGATION

10- The MASAK "Evaluation Report on Money Laundering" included information that one of the companies (name provided) whose management was transferred to the TMSF due to its connection to the ABK criminal organization was provided with 25 loans totaling 480 million 515 thousand TL by a public bank in 2021-2022. If this information was in the MASAK report, why did the bank request the "Removal of Content from Publication" on May 6, 2024, regarding news stories covering the MASAK Report?

11- Is the allegation true that the company, which was transferred to the TMSF due to its connection to ABK, pledged the shares of De Solar 7 Limited Company to the bank in exchange for the loan it received? Was there information that this company increased its capital from 15 million TL to 150 million TL, a 10-fold increase, three days before being sold to another company?

12- Was 125 million liras in loans provided by a public bank on different dates in 2022 to the energy company that was seized and had its management transferred to the TMSF due to its connection to the criminal organization? On what grounds were millions of liras in loans given to a company that had a turnover of only 3 thousand 540 TL in 2021?

"WHY IS THERE NO EVALUATION IN THE REPORT?"

13- Has it been investigated whether there were any situations contrary to banking legislation in the loans provided by the public bank to engineering and energy companies?

14- Have the allegations that some politicians mediated the use of loans from public-capital banks by companies that were seized and had their management transferred to the TMSF due to their connection to ABK, his relatives, and the criminal organization been investigated by MASAK? Why is there no information or evaluation on this subject in the report?

15- Has it been investigated whether any of the board members of the bank that provided loans to the companies whose management was transferred to the TMSF due to their connection to the ABK criminal organization had any relationship with ABK, and have their assets been investigated?

News Source: 12punto