46 people lost their lives as a result of the collapse of the Said Bey Site, built within the scope of urban transformation, in the Yahya Kemal District of Kahramanmaraş's Dulkadiroğlu district, during the February 6 earthquakes.
Building owner and contractor Hasan Çam, static project and application inspection officer Yavuz Kaygısız, building inspection company official Halil Yıldız, building inspection company control officer Melike Yiğit and site managers Halil İbrahim Us and Murat Kaş were charged with "causing death and injury by conscious negligence", and Arzu Özaydın, who was Dulkadiroğlu Municipality's Zoning and Urbanization Manager at the time of the construction of the building, and deputy manager Serap Binici by "causing death and injury by negligence". A lawsuit was filed for the crime.
During the hearing, the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office filed a lawsuit against ZBK Construction Control Company officials Sıla Avğın and Zehra Betül Kayserili and the static project and application inspector İsmail Kurt, who took part in the construction of the building, for "causing death and injury through conscious negligence".
Kahramanmaraş 4th High Criminal Court combined the three files. Those who lost their relatives in the earthquake, some defendants and lawyers of the parties attended the decision hearing of the case held yesterday.
The trial prosecutor requested that the defendants be punished for "causing death and injury to more than one person through conscious negligence", that the detention of contractor Hasan Çam be continued, and that the files of three officials of ZBK Construction Control Company be separated from the main case.
Arrested contractor Hasan Çam, whose last words were asked by the court committee, said, "I am innocent, I trust in justice."
The committee sentenced the detained defendant Hasan Çam to 13 years and 4 months in prison for "causing the death and injury of more than one person through conscious negligence". Taking into account "the defendant's behavior after the act and during the trial process and the possible effects of the sentence on his future", the court sentenced Çam to 11 years, 1 month and 10 days in prison by applying a good behavior discount.
The undetained defendants Yavuz Kaygısız, Halil Yıldız, Melike Yiğit, Halil İbrahim Us and Murat Kaş were sentenced to 8 years, 10 months and 20 days in prison each with a reduction for good behavior. The court banned these five defendants from profession for two years and ordered the continuation of the judicial control orders against them.
In its request to punish public officials Arzu Özaydın and Serap Binici for the crime of "causing death and injury to more than one person through conscious negligence", the court decided that there was no need to apply the provisions of "conscious negligence", taking into account the manner in which the defendants' actions occurred. The two defendants, who received a good behavior reduction, were sentenced to 5 years in prison each.
The Kahramanmaraş 4th High Criminal Court panel separated the file of ZBK Construction Control Company officials, which was previously decided to be merged, because the defenses of the three defendants in this file were not taken.
Those who lost their relatives in Said Bey Site evaluated the decision to ANKA News Agency.
Sema Ulupınar, who lost her son in the earthquake, said, "The survivors of Said Bey Sitesi were shocked by the decision. The judge who made the decision ran away from the courtroom. The complainants burst into tears in the hall, screams rose on all floors of the courthouse. A few people who survived under the rubble were trapped under the rubble again. Justice was not served again."
