In the lawsuit filed in Yalova Municipality on the allegation of “embezzlement”, a prison sentence of 10 years to 31 years and 6 months was requested for the former mayor Vefa Salman and former mayor Yakup Bilgin Koçal, who resigned after being suspended from the mayoral post, and a prison sentence of 20 years to 58 years for the deputy mayor Halit Güleç. was done.
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In the ongoing trial at the Yalova 2nd High Criminal Court, the public prosecutor, who gave his opinion on the merits, requested the punishment of Vefa Salman, Halit Güleç, former Mayor Yakup Bilgin Koçal, who served between 2009-2014, and 38 defendants.
In the opinion, Reşat E, who works in the Financial Services Directorate of Yalova Municipality, prepared the fake accounting transaction slip and the sending order, had the financial services manager defendant Ş.RK and his deputies defendant S.Ö, ED and CH sign the payment order to the persons who do not have any rights or receivables from the municipality. It was stated that it was arranged.
It was reminded that Koçal, who was the president between 2009-2014, and Salman, who was the president between 2014-2020, were responsible for the Yalova Municipality Financial Services Directorate, and therefore both defendants were obliged to supervise all the transactions carried out by the directorate, as well as to protect the property of the municipality.
“DELIVIATELY IGNORED”
In the opinion, it was stated that Koçal deliberately turned a blind eye to the commission of the crime of embezzlement, and that Salman, as the mayor, had the authority to supervise all units in the municipality, and although he was obliged to protect and supervise the money belonging to the municipality due to his duty, he was responsible for the crime of qualified embezzlement by deliberately turning a blind eye to the commission of the crime of embezzlement.
According to the scope of the file, it is understood that the defendant Salman was aware of the irregular payment transactions made considering the WhatsApp conversations, that there was money collected in Güleç from these conversations and testimony minutes, and that some media organizations and third parties were paid from this money. It was stated that not being aware of the payments was contrary to the normal flow of life.
The prosecutor requested a prison sentence of 10 years to 31 years and 6 months for Salman regarding the irregular payments of 20 million 739 thousand liras in 555 transactions from Yalova Municipality accounts between 2014 and 2020.
During Koçal’s term in office, qualified embezzlement charges were filed regarding the irregular payments of 2 million 633 thousand liras. In the opinion, it was stated that Koçal’s lack of knowledge about these payment transactions was against the normal flow of life, and a prison sentence of 10 years to 31 years and 6 months was requested for the former president.
REQUEST FOR UP TO 58 YEARS OF PRISON
In his opinion, the prosecutor also reminded that 555 fake accounting slips and sending orders issued between 2014 and 2020 were prepared by Reşat E. on the instructions of Halit Güleç, and the fake documents were signed by the financial services manager and his deputies.
In the opinion, which mentioned that the documents in question were prepared by Reşat E. as a result of Güleç’s instructions and instigation, a prison sentence of 20 to 58 years was requested for Güleç on charges of chain embezzlement, chain forgery of official documents and extortion.
The prosecutor, who requested a prison sentence of 20 to 58 years for Reşat E., who carried out the transactions, stated that it was evaluated that Reşat E. may have transferred 1 million 51 thousand 950 liras from ATMs between December 2019 and February 2020 to places that were considered to be betting sites in the research. gave.
OTHER DEFENDANTS, PUNISHMENTS TO BE DEMANDED
In his opinion, the prosecutor demanded a prison sentence of 16 to 38 years for Ş.RK, the accounting manager at the time, and other municipal employees S.Ö, CH and ED.
A prison sentence ranging from 15 to 28 years was requested for Güleç’s secretary BT, and a prison sentence ranging from 10 to 18 years for his drivers A.Ş.I, FV, Ö.G, VE and EA.
In the opinion requesting imprisonment of 16 to 38 years for the contractor Bekir B, who was tried in the case, the market employees used by Bekir B in issuing the payments were H.Ç, TT, EG, E.Ö, BB, SD, TD, C.Ö. It was requested that company employee TT and company partner T.K be sentenced to 16 to 38 years in prison.
16 years in prison for OS, Ö.A, ST, T.Ç, GK, Ö.Y, AG, CD, K.Ö.B, ARA, AA, AB, SA, BA and ADK, who are alleged to be in contact with Bekir B. A prison sentence ranging from 38 to 38 years was requested.
INVESTIGATION AND CASE PROCESS
Following the detection of irregular transactions in the accounting records of Reşat E, who worked in the Financial Services Directorate, on February 6, 2020, Yalova Municipality officials applied to the Provincial Police Department and filed a criminal complaint with the prosecutor’s office.
In addition to Reşat E, who was caught in Denizli and brought to Yalova, Deputy Mayor Halit Güleç, Financial Services Manager Ş.RK and contractor Bekir B. were arrested.
Güleç’s secretary Bahar T., who was later detained, and O.G, the accounting staff of the company mentioned in the investigation file, as well as TT, H.Ç. and 10 more suspects who allegedly received irregular payments from EG and the municipality were sent to prison, increasing the number of detainees in the investigation to 19. One of these people was released pending trial.
Yalova Mayor Vefa Salman and Deputy Mayor Halit Güleç, who were tried with a prison sentence of 3 to 18 years for the crimes of “neglect of supervision duty”, “condoning corruption” and “embezzlement”, were suspended from duty by the Ministry of Internal Affairs on February 27.
In the 150-page indictment submitted to the Yalova 2nd High Criminal Court by the Yalova Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and accepted, all defendants, including the suspended Yalova Mayor Vefa Salman and the detained Deputy Mayor Halit Güleç, were requested to be punished.
With the release of 18 detained people in the previous hearings of the case, there were no more detained defendants in the file.
The investigation file carried out against the then mayor Yakup Koçal and 3 defendants regarding the irregular payments made between 2009 and 2014 was combined with the case, and the number of defendants tried in the file increased from 34 to 38. (AA)
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