Ekrem İmamoğlu's 100th hearing was held in the 'abuse of power' case

At the hearing held by the Büyükçekmece 21st Criminal Court of First Instance in the hall opposite the Marmara Closed Penal Institution, 8 undetained defendants and their lawyers were present.

Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is the defendant in this case and is detained within the scope of the "İmamoğlu profit-oriented criminal organization" case, was also taken out of the hall where the other case was being heard and brought to this hearing.

At the hearing, New Party Group Deputy Chairman Gökhan Günaydın, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Chairman Nuri Aslan, Küçükçekmece Mayor Kemal Çebi, New Party Istanbul Provincial Chairman Özgür Çelik, İmamoğlu's wife Dilek İmamoğlu, his son Mehmet Selim İmamoğlu, relatives of the defendants and some party members were also present as spectators.

The judge read the summary of the indictment at the hearing, which started with identification. Ekrem İmamoğlu, who made his defense, said that he thought a very wrong case was filed.

İmamoğlu explained that he entered his 100th hearing today, as of March 9, and argued that he tried to explain injustice and unfairness in every hearing he was on this bench and in all the cases he was involved in.

Ekrem İmamoğlu said, "At first glance, this case may seem like an official car issue, but it is not, it is political and produced with political motives. For me, the issue has always been about serving the nation and prioritizing self-sacrifice while serving the nation. I have never been a person raised by the office by establishing a relationship with the office." he declared.

İmamoğlu said the following in his defense: "Essentially, I am giving the simple definition of why we are here today, when they told me the price of a vehicle that was described as having high costs as evident in the records and documents of the municipality, and when I learned the price of an official vehicle or an authority service vehicle, because the vehicle they brought to me in a tender that was rented at that time, the rental transaction was made, I said, 'Well, I have a better vehicle than this, I use it.' I am here because of a process related to allocating that vehicle to the public free of charge.

The summary of the matter is that, at that time, VAT included, if I remember correctly, the tender was 7 thousand 200 lira, with the figures of 2024, which I allocated my car in 2015, instead of renting a vehicle that corresponds to 3 thousand dollars with the figures of that day, and whose monthly rent exceeds 3 thousand dollars, I said, 'I have this car too. I will continue to use this car, there is no need for this. Return it back. 'Let's give this car to the municipality free of charge, it is my company's car.' "This is an attempt to blame Ekrem for the transaction."

Stating that the 20 thousand lira worth of gasoline he used was mentioned, İmamoğlu said, "In 2019, we mistakenly bought gasoline from the municipality's system for my own vehicle, it was noticed at that time, we deposited our money at that time and went to the municipality's safe again. The document will definitely reach you." made his defense.

At the hearing, the defenses of the detained defendants Orhan Yılmaz, Ercan Doğan, Fatma Hoşgöz Açıkgöz, Bülent Arslaner, Mülayim Demirtaş, Nuray Köker and Selçuk Altun and the defendant's lawyers were taken.

The public prosecutor, who was asked for his opinion, stated that he had nothing to say about the defenses and requested that the defenses of the other defendants be taken.

The court decided that the defense statements of the other 4 defendants would be taken at the next hearing and postponed the hearing to 23 October.

FROM THE INDICTMENT

In the indictment prepared by Büyükçekmece Chief Public Prosecutor's Office Special Crimes Investigation Bureau, Ekrem İmamoğlu, Bülent Arslaner, Fatih Keleş, Fatma Hoşgöz Açıkgöz, İlyas Yılmaz, Mehmet Zeki Çanakçi, Mülayim Demirtaş, Nuray Köker, Orhan Yılmaz, Selçuk Altun, Üzeyir Çöl and Ercan Doğan are listed as "defendants".

In the indictment, it is stated that İmamoğlu İnşaat submitted a petition to Beylikdüzü Municipality on February 4, 2015, and in the petition, it was proposed to use the Mercedes Vito vehicle with plate number 34 LN 4472, owned by the company, in the service of the Mayor, free of charge, during the term of office of the then mayor, with maintenance, fuel and all other expenses to be covered by the municipality.

The indictment states that the petition in question was referred to the Municipal Committee with the approval of Ekrem İmamoğlu on February 9, 2015, and it is stated that the committee deemed this request appropriate for the vehicle to be used as a presidential office car, and its maintenance and fuel expenses to be covered by the municipality, without paying any fee.

In the indictment, it is stated that according to the relevant article of the Municipality Law, the duties and powers of the council are limited and that it does not have the authority to decide on the allocation of a privately owned vehicle to the mayor as an official vehicle and that all expenses of this vehicle be covered from the municipal budget.

In addition, in the indictment, committee members Çanakçi, Demirtaş, Keleş, Köker, Altun, İlyas Yılmaz and Orhan Yılmaz, who decided to cover the expenses of a privately owned vehicle from the municipal budget, although it was not among their duties and powers listed in the Municipality Law and was against the Vehicle Law, and Beylikdüzü Municipality Support Committee of the period, who acted contrary to their duties by making the payments and carrying out the maintenance, repair, tire and fuel purchase expenses of the vehicle based on the council decision. It is noted that Services Manager Üzeyir Çöl and Support Services personnel Bülent Arslaner are responsible.

IRREGULARITY IN MUNICIPALITY TENDER

In the indictment, it is stated that Beylikdüzü Municipality Youth and Sports Affairs Directorate made a procurement purchase for the "Employment of Trainers and Sports Organizations Equipment Work" on December 25, 2018, for a cost of 65 thousand 600 liras, and for two separate "Employment of Trainers and Sports Organizations Works" for a cost of 65 thousand 800 liras, on January 15, 2019.

In the indictment, which reminds that according to the Public Procurement Law, the direct procurement monetary limit for the administrations within the borders of the metropolitan municipality is 67 thousand 613 liras, excluding VAT, it is reported that the municipality made two separate direct procurement purchases.

In the indictment, it is stated that the cost of both purchases alone was below the direct procurement limit of 67 thousand 613 liras, but both jobs were of the same nature, and said: "It is established that the procurement of the same quality trainer employment service job was divided into 2 parts and procurements were carried out by direct procurement method in order to remain below the direct procurement limit, in violation of the principles of competition, equality and effective use of resources, contrary to Article 5 of the Public Procurement Law." It is said.

CRIMINAL REQUESTS

In the indictment, it is requested that the defendants Ekrem İmamoğlu, Bülent Arslaner, Fatih Keleş, İlyas Yılmaz, Mehmet Zeki Çanakçi, Mülayim Demirtaş, Nuray Köker, Orhan Yılmaz, Selçuk Altun, Üzeyir Çöl and Fatma Hoşgöz Açıkgöz be sentenced to imprisonment from 6 months to two years each for the crime of "abuse of office".

In the indictment requesting the defendant Ercan Doğan's imprisonment from 3 months to 1 year for the crime of "aiding abuse of power", it is stated that the defendant Mehmet Zeki Çanakçi also violated the obligations regarding the probation measure by committing a new crime while he was in the probation process due to a previous sentence.