Turkish authotiries track overseas assets in fund probe

ANKARA

Türkiye has sought information from dozens of countries as part of an investigation into problematic investment funds, Deputy Treasury and Finance Minister İlhan Hatipoğlu has said.

Speaking at the parliamentary Planning and Budget Commission on Oct. 14 during discussions on legislation related to the liquidation of troubled funds, Hatipoğlu said the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) had so far submitted 48 separate requests to 29 countries under the investigation.

“Information requests have been made regarding a total of 278 individuals and legal entities, including details on their accounts and assets, both cash and cryptocurrency holdings,” Hatipoğlu said.

He added that the chief public prosecutors’ offices had been formally involved in the process through judicial assistance mechanisms.

“Our chief prosecutors’ offices are closely following the process with the relevant authorities in those countries regarding the repatriation of assets to our country,” Hatipoğlu said.

He said efforts were continuing to identify and recover the assets of all individuals involved in criminal activity in every country where such assets had been located.

Meanwhile, Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek authorized an investigation into former Capital Markets Board (SPK) chairman İbrahim Ömer Gönül following a preliminary inspection report prepared by the ministry’s Inspection Board.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office had requested permission to investigate Gönül as part of the fund probe.

Following the request, Şimşek on Oct. 2 instructed the ministry’s Inspection Board to conduct an urgent preliminary review.

Based on the resulting report, permission was granted for an investigation into Gönül.