Özgür Özel said 'I will announce it on Tuesday'... Irregularity and rent-seeking chain in AKP-run Fatih Municipality: Despite the Court of Accounts report, there is neither an investigation nor an inquiry!

Details of the striking Court of Accounts report on Istanbul’s Fatih Municipality, brought to the agenda by CHP Chair Özgür Özel, have come to light. According to Sözcü, the 58-page official audit report identified many irregularities, including the misuse of public resources, improper procurements and expenditures, and the undercollection of revenues. Despite this, no review has been launched to date by the relevant ministries, and prosecutors have not taken action. 

Some of the findings in the Court of Accounts report that CHP leader Özel is set to disclose regarding Fatih Municipality are as follows:

- A property owned by the Treasury, over which an easement right had been obtained in favor of the municipality in return for rent, was allocated by the municipality to a federation of associations. Although the municipality paid 232 thousand lira to the Ministry of Treasury and Finance as the rental fee for the property in question, the association to which the allocation was made did not make any payment to the administration.

- By a municipal council decision, a property belonging to the municipality was allocated to an amateur sports club association for 15 years.

MADE AVAILABLE WITHOUT A TENDER

- Advertising spaces established within the administration’s area of duty and authority and owned by the administration were made available, without a tender, to a company determined by the administration and in return for a fee likewise appraised by the administration.

- Deputy mayors received attendance fees from more than one municipal company.

- Disabled personnel and personnel within the scope of social services were not employed at the rate stipulated in the legislation.

- Some places under the municipality’s control, such as parks, roads, green spaces, parking lots and playgrounds that had been dedicated to public use in the land registry, as well as some properties privately owned by the administration, were unlawfully occupied.

- The occupiers were not removed from the places in question; instead, the retrospectively determined occupation fee amounts were applied prospectively as if collecting rent, ensuring that the occupations continued.  

- Places designated as park areas in zoning plans and required to be open to the use of all citizens were occupied and made available for purposes other than their intended use, such as parking lots, etc.

- At the end of the contract periods for leasing properties owned by the municipality, no new leasing tender was held, and the lease periods were unlawfully extended.

- Amounts accumulated in the Slum Housing Fund were used contrary to the purpose specified in the legislation.

- The amounts collected in the parking lot account were not used in the administration’s current expenditures instead of for parking lot construction.

WILL THE LOSS BE DISCLOSED?

An expert who examined the report commented, “For some reason, to date neither the relevant ministry has launched a review nor have prosecutors opened any investigation into these findings.” CHP leader Özgür Özel is expected to disclose the figures for the public loss that emerged in this incident.

- A student dormitory building was constructed on land belonging to the municipality, and the structure was awarded by tender to a company under a contract stipulating that it would be operated as a student dormitory for 25 years. Despite this, the company is unlawfully turning the site into a hotel and operating it.

- A building not belonging to the municipality, consisting of a basement floor, a ground floor and 5 standard floors with an area of 595 square meters, was leased out by the municipality for 30 years.

- Some properties owned by the municipality, which could be leased for a maximum of 10 years, were unlawfully leased for periods longer than 10 years.