Arrest warrant issued for graft probe prosecutor

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

The fifth penal chamber of Turkey’s Supreme Court of Appeals ruled on March 23 for an arrest warrant for a public prosecutor who conducted the major Dec. 17, 2013, graft probe and was later dismissed from the profession.

The ruling came as prosecutor Celal Kara was confirmed to be fleeing the country, after previous summons and forcible seizure rulings did not produce results, according to the court. 

The trial of the criminal case against Kara, who has been charged for misconduct, continued in the absence of the complainant and the suspect’s lawyer.

The case against Kara involves several companies and people, including former Interior Minister Muammer Güler, Güler’s son, Barış Güler, former Halkbank General Manager Süleyman Aslan, Iranian-born Turkish businessman Reza Zarrab and Zarrab’s wife, Ebru Gündeş Zarrab, as complainants. 

During the Dec. 17, 2013, graft probe, three high-ranking former ministers, Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan, Interior Minister Güler, EU Minister Egemen Bağış and Urban Minister Erdoğan Bayraktar, and several businessmen were accused of involvement in a large-scale probe but were late acquitted both in court and parliament.