AKP refutes claims that graft panel inquiry was delayed on purpose

ANKARA

DHA Photo

A senior executive of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has refuted arguments that the party deliberately delayed the functioning of a parliamentary inquiry commission to investigate corruption claims on four former ministers.

“The summaries of proceedings have returned to the prosecutor’s office,” AKP Deputy Chair Hüseyin Çelik recalled, speaking at a press conference on July 16.

“Commissions founded at Parliament are a trial by Parliament. They will decide on whether these people shall go to the Supreme Council or not,” he said. The Supreme Council is the name the Constitutional Court takes when it tries ministers and senior members of the judiciary.

“Nobody should expect certain things to be done flimsily on such a vital matter. The process is going on. Nobody can ever aim to block the process. There is nothing which could be revealed before the presidential elections, which would be annoying for us, and which is not known by us and you,” he added.

Parliament has decided to establish an investigation commission to investigate former ministers Zafer Çağlayan, Egemen Bağış, Muammer Güler and Erdoğan Bayraktar, but the commission has repeatedly been stalled and delayed by the AKP.

Recently, the commission chair from the AKP, Hakkı Köylü, did not open the summary of proceedings into commission members and returned dossiers to the Istanbul chief prosecutor claiming that a document designating a “list of content” was missing.