Retrial started in Seçil Erzan case

Seçil Erzan, who was sentenced to more than 102 years in prison in the case publicly known as the "highly profitable secret fund", appeared before the judge again yesterday after the decision to overturn the appeal.

The case, which was previously heard in the Istanbul 41st High Criminal Court, started to be heard again in the Istanbul 29th High Criminal Court.

Making his defense at the first hearing of the retrial, Erzan argued that he was not given a fair trial in the previous trial. Erzan said, "Nothing I said for three and a half years was taken into account. Only what the participants said was accepted as absolute truth."

'THEY SAID YOU WILL BE ARRESTED'

Claiming that he gave his statement to the prosecutor's office without receiving sufficient legal support and with guidance, Erzan said, "I told everyone to fund it under fear and pressure that day. I did not set up a system." Erzan, in the case that was re-heard after the decision to overturn the appeal, said, "I became a debtor even though I did not owe anything to anyone. During the prosecution phase, they said, 'There is pressure from above, they will arrest you.' The money is not mine, I tried to explain this."

Arguing that he did not have the money, Erzan said that he and his family sold their assets to pay off the debts. Regarding former football player Arda Turan, one of the complainants, Erzan said, "If he is owed 1 penny, punish me for a thousand years. He took the money he gave me in 15 days. If this is a system, who is managing this system?"