An Istanbul court on Aug. 24 delivered its verdict in the trial of seven opposition mayors and municipal officials, acquitting businessman Aziz İhsan Aktaş, who had been referred to as the alleged ringleader of a criminal organization, of charges of establishing an organization to manipulate tenders.
The case was brought over allegations that Aktaş bribed mayors and municipal officials to orchestrate public tenders. The court ruled that Aktaş was acquitted of the charges of “establishing a criminal organization.” However, he was sentenced to two years in prison for rigging public tenders and was also banned from participating in public tenders for two years.
The court was issuing separate verdicts for each defendant over their alleged roles in more than 60 acts involving bid-rigging, while the reading of the full verdict was expected to continue until the evening.
Avcılar Mayor Utku Caner Çaykara was acquitted of two charges.
Former Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer was sentenced to eight months and 10 days in prison for “abuse of office through negligence.” Özer was also banned from serving as civil servant.
Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, who was accused of involvement in 52 acts, has so far been acquitted of 18 of them. Akpolat was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for rigging public tenders and an additional three years for accepting bribes. The reading of the verdicts concerning Akpolat is still ongoing.
The first hearing of the trial was held on Jan. 27, after the indictment was accepted by the court. During the roughly six-month period between the first hearing and July 29, the court held 59 hearings.
The number of defendants in pretrial detention, which stood at 33 when the trial began, has fallen to five following a series of release rulings. A total of 28 defendants, including Adana Mayor Zeydan Karalar,
Adana’s Ceyhan Mayor Kadir Aydar and Istanbul’s Avcılar Mayor Çaykara, Istanbul’s Esenyurt former Mayor Özer, was released pending trial.
However, Istanbul’s Beşiktaş Mayor Akpolat and Adana’s Seyhan Mayor Oya Tekin were jailed pending trial.
