Major investigation against Istanbul's mayor Imamoğlu labeled as highest-level corruption scandal
The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, led by Ekrem Imamoglu, is currently under investigation for a criminal network involving bribery and corruption. The chief prosecutor, Akın Gürlek, has stated that evidence implicating the defendants is substantial and that they have been working on the case during the summer recess.
At the heart of the investigations is Aziz Ihsan Aktaş, a businessperson who has provided confessions that led to warrants for 47 individuals. Aktaş was initially denied the allegations but later provided detailed confessions on April 30 and May 11. Since his arrest in March on corruption charges, Imamoglu has appeared at multiple hearings related to other cases.
Aktaş has been accused of establishing and leading a criminal organization, engaging in bribery, rigging tenders and contracts, and laundering illicit assets. His confessions have been the foundation for multiple operations against CHP-controlled districts, including the arrests of Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat and Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer.
Twenty-two suspects, including five mayors, remain in custody as a result of the investigations. Among them is Murat Kapki, one of the suspects in the case, who transferred assets before his apprehension, including eight properties and valuable real estate and vehicles.
Investigators have seized the assets of companies linked to Aktaş and placed injunctions on his business holdings. Gürlek has denied allegations of pressure on defendants who invoked a remorse law in exchange for lenient sentences.
The investigations against the CHP-controlled districts are based on four separate investigations that were launched. Gürlek's office has accused Imamoglu of no one being in detention solely based on accounts of witnesses. However, Gürlek provided an example of loans totaling over $5 billion acquired by the municipality between 2019 and 2024, which were channeled to various companies while loans for metro projects were suspended.
Regarding demands for the live broadcast of hearings, Gürlek stated that the hearings are public and broadcasts can be made available if higher authorities approve. An investigation has been initiated in Ankara against the CHP leader, Özgür Özel, due to thinly veiled threats against Gürlek in a CHP rally.
It is important to note that there is no information in the provided search results about Aktaş being arrested or charged with leading a corruption organization or accepting bribes before a certain year. Aktaş was freed from house arrest last month after cooperating with investigators under Türkiye's effective remorse provisions.
The ongoing investigation, labelled by Gürlek as the "biggest corruption case of the century," has garnered significant attention due to the high-profile status of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and its mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu. The case continues to unfold as more evidence is uncovered and hearings take place.
