Turkish prosecutors on Sept. 1 ordered the detention of 22 suspects as part of an investigation into alleged irregularities surrounding vehicle and construction machinery rental tenders issued by the Bolu Municipality.
The Bolu Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said judicial proceedings has been initiated against 23 suspects, including suspended Bolu Mayor Tanju Özcan, over a municipal contract covering the rental of driverless vehicles and construction equipment used for waste collection, transportation and general cleaning services.
Özcan, who is already in custody over a separate investigation, was not among those targeted by the latest detention orders.
According to prosecutors, an expert report prepared on Aug. 25 identified a number of alleged discrepancies in the implementation of the contract. Investigators cross-checked vehicle tracking data provided by Arvento Mobile Systems with municipal landfill records and monthly work schedules to determine whether the vehicles had actually performed the services for which payments were made.
The examination found that some garbage collection vehicles appeared in tracking records as having operated on days when they had not in fact been used. Payments were subsequently made to the contractor on the basis of these records, prosecutors said.
