Turkish singer Levent jailed pending trial in charity fund probe

ISTANBUL

Turkish rock singer Haluk Levent was jailed pending trial early on July 16 as part of an investigation into alleged financial irregularities involving Ahbap, the charity organization he founded.

Prosecutors are investigating Levent on allegations including violations of Türkiye’s Law on Associations, money laundering and membership in a criminal organization.

The probe centers on alleged financial misconduct within Ahbap. Early on July 16, prosecutors referred 25 suspects to court for arrest as part of the investigation into Ahbap. The court ordered the pretrial arrest of 14 people, including Levent, his assistant and lawyer.

According to the prosecutor’s office, investigators claim that Levent transferred roughly 120 million Turkish Liras (approximately $2.5 million) from the charity through multiple bank accounts, including one registered in the name of his assistant, Yeliz K. Prosecutors further allege that between 2020 and 2026, Levent wagered nearly 990 million liras on online betting platforms, incurring losses of around 390 million liras.

The prosecution also alleges that donations collected for victims of the devastating 2023 earthquakes were diverted into personal accounts, used to finance gambling activities or transferred to third parties.

Levent denied misappropriating charitable donations, maintaining that he never used relief funds for personal purposes. While acknowledging that certain administrative irregularities may have occurred, he argued that they did not constitute corruption or embezzlement.