Prison sentence sought for former Maltepe Mayor Ali Kılıç: Accusation of illicit enrichment

The indictment prepared by the Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor's Office's Special Investigation Bureau noted that an investigation was launched following complaints that Kılıç had an extraordinary and unexplainable increase in his assets during his tenure as mayor, and that he and his relatives had acquired numerous real estate properties.

The indictment included information from research conducted by the Istanbul Provincial Police Department's Anti-Financial Crimes Branch regarding the allegations, stating that Kılıç had 9 title deed records—most of which were acquired through inheritance and court proceedings—in the provinces of Ankara, Yalova, Tunceli, Istanbul, and Erzincan, as well as records for 3 companies operating in the fields of construction, media agency services, foundation management, hotel management, cleaning, and machinery maintenance.

The indictment also stated that, according to an expert report, Kılıç failed to submit 11 required asset declaration updates, and that a comparison of his income and expenses revealed an expenditure surplus of 5 million 155 thousand 41 Turkish Lira and an increase in assets with no clear source.

The indictment noted that in a petition submitted to the prosecutor's office by Kılıç's lawyer, the defense argued that the expert report was flawed in many respects, that properties at the same address were repeated and reflected as if they were different acquisitions, that despite the client owning only 6 properties, the number of properties was overstated, and that the company information did not reflect the truth.

As a result of the investigation, the indictment alleged that during his term as Maltepe Mayor, Ali Kılıç had an expenditure surplus of 1 million 138 thousand 740 Turkish Lira, which should be considered illicit enrichment as it manifested in expenditures that could not be accepted as consistent with his income, and that the defendant committed the alleged crime in this manner.

The indictment, which requests that Kılıç be sentenced to 3 to 5 years in prison and a heavy fine of 5 million to 10 million Turkish Lira for the crime of "illicit enrichment, or concealing or hiding assets," has been accepted by the criminal court of first instance.

News Source: AA