A court in the western Turkish province of Denizli has ordered Merkezefendi Mayor Şeniz Doğan and four other suspects held in custody pending trial in an investigation into alleged bribery, extortion by a public official and bid rigging, the Demirören News Agency (DHA) and Milli Gazete reported on Saturday.
Five jailed, 12 released under judicial control
Seventeen suspects, including the mayor and her husband, were brought before a judge, according to both reports. Five of them, among them the mayor and her husband, were jailed, while the other 12 were released under judicial control.
Investigation began on Tuesday
The investigation is being carried out by the Denizli Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. In an operation on Tuesday, 27 October, police from the Denizli security directorate’s anti-smuggling and organised crime branch detained 27 people, including the mayor, her husband, deputy mayors, municipal staff and officials of construction companies, DHA reported on Friday.
According to DHA, seven construction company officials were released on the prosecutor’s instructions after giving statements. Three other suspects, including a deputy mayor and municipal directors, were sent to court earlier in the week, and two of them were released under judicial control. The 17 remaining suspects were referred to court on Friday.
None of the suspects has been convicted. Neither report said when an indictment might be prepared.
Sources
- Denizli’de Rüşvet Operasyonu: 5 Tutuklama (DHA via Gazete Ses)
- Denizli’de Merkezefendi Belediyesi’ne operasyon: Başkan ve eşi dahil 5 kişi tutuklandı (Milli Gazete)
- Merkezefendi Belediyesi Operasyonunda Başkan Dahil, 17 Şüpheli Adliyede (DHA via Memurlar.Net)
Photo: Vadim Istratov / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
