Eight arrested as 66 sent to court in Turkey's corruption investigation

ISTANBUL

Nine people have been brought to Çağlayan courthouse under police control on Dec 19. DHA Photo

Eight people allegedly involved in a corruption network revealed by Turkey’s largest-ever bribery investigation were arrested at midnight this morning, while 66 more, including a minister's son and Fatih’s mayor, were transferred to court.

Two Turkish ministers' sons have been sent to court with a request for their arrest, along with 12 others.

Interior Minister Muammer Gülen's son Barış Güler and Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan's son Kaan Çağlayan were sent to court, along with Azeri businessman Reza Zarrab and Halkbank General Manager Süleyman Aslan.

Seven suspects arrested at Istanbul’s Çağlayan courthouse were sent to prison at midnight, while one more suspect joined them in the early hours of the day.

The suspects departed the Istanbul Police Department in two groups an hour apart. After 27 people, including Güler and Demir, left the police department for hospital at around 6:45 a.m., 23 more suspects were sent to Çağlayan at around 7:45 a.m., daily Hürriyet reported.

Meanwhile, five suspects, who were taken into custody in raids staged on Dec. 17, have been released.

A few hours after two people were freed by the court on the night of Dec. 19, three more suspects were released after being questioned in the police department.

Over 50 people were detained in Istanbul and Ankara on the morning of Dec. 17 as part of the probe into tender fraud and bribery allegations.

On the night of Dec. 18, another nine suspects were released in Istanbul after health checks. Gülbahar Aslan, wife of Halkbank General Manager Süleyman Aslan, was also freed on Dec. 18 after giving her testimony. Police seized $4.5 million in cash on Dec. 18 when they raided the Halkbank general manager’s house. Süleyman Aslan remains in custody over accusations that he received bribes from businessmen.