Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek, in a statement regarding the fund investigations, reported that legal action has been taken against 63 individuals and 4 people have been arrested. Gürlek stated that the investigations could expand and that efforts are underway to recover the money of the victimized investors.
Responding to questions from journalist Cüneyt Özdemir, Gürlek conveyed that the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office is evaluating the files under the scope of organized crime, fraud, fraud against the state, and opposition to the Capital Markets Law. He stated that if unusual increases in assets are detected in MASAK reports, the crime of money laundering could also be brought to the agenda.
While legal action has been taken against 63 people so far in the investigations, 4 people have been arrested. It was noted that while judicial control measures have been applied to some suspects, individuals currently under detention for questioning and those who are fugitives are also within the scope of the file.
STARTED WITH SPK'S CRIMINAL COMPLAINT
Gürlek said the process began following a criminal complaint by the Capital Markets Board (SPK). Stating that the activity in the funds had been monitored previously, Gürlek noted that the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office could not directly conduct an ex officio investigation in this area, and that permission or a criminal complaint from the SPK was necessary.
Reminding that there are 8.5 million people in the stock market, Gürlek stated that increases outside the normal course were observed in some stocks and funds. Gürlek expressed that rises reaching 400 percent, 500 percent, and 5000 percent in some items were reported to the SPK.
Touching upon the financial dimension of the investigation, Gürlek said it was determined that the savings accumulated by some citizens over many years had been exploited. Stating that the money was transferred to different places and abroad, Gürlek emphasized that their goal is to bring this money back.
Gürlek stated that the aim is to deliver the recovered money to the good-faith citizens.
Explaining that measures were applied to bank accounts and real estate in the land registry in the first stage, Gürlek said that precautions were taken to stop money movements by sending letters to banks. He announced that some companies and assets were seized, and that precautionary decisions were issued regarding some assets.
Gürlek also stated that actions were taken to freeze the assets of managers, chairmen, and their first-degree relatives connected to the funds liquidated by the SPK, and that notifications were sent to banks not to process transactions without the instruction of the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
News Source: 12punto
