Main opposition CHP calls on Court of Accounts chief to resign

ANKARA

Akif Hamzaçebi argued that the government’s failure to send reports by the Court of Accounts to Parliament was aimed at blocking the auditing of its expenditures . AA Photo

A senior executive of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has called on the president of the Court of Accounts to resign, while accusing him of conducting “irregular proceedings and drafting fake documents.”

CHP Deputy Parliamentary Group Chair Akif Hamzaçebi argued on March 10 that the government’s failure to send reports by the Court of Accounts to Parliament was aimed at blocking the auditing of its expenditures and, even if those expenditures are audited, to prevent irregularities and corruption that have been found from being revealed to the public.

According to an amendment to a law published in the Official Gazette in December, the Court of Accounts will not be able to inspect official accounts for another three years, as state institutions will not be obliged to provide their accounts for inspection.

In 2012, for the first time, the Court of Accounts did not present its auditing reports to Parliament, because they were “not in accordance with the new law.”

In a written statement, Hamzaçebi said the Report Assessment Board of the Council of State presented 146 auditing reports about 2012 to the presidency of the Council of State, occupied by Recai Akyel, in order to be conveyed to Parliament.

“Upon reservations from two members of the Board that exposed realities, the president of the Council of State’s attempt to get a ruling contrary to reality ended in a fiasco. The president of the Council of State, who sent undue reports to Parliament, acted against the laws, and put the judgments of the Council of State aside, attempted to arrange fake documents when this situation came out. He should resign from his post.” Hamzaçebi said.

‘They are all our guys’

His call came shortly after an online release over the weekend of a series of audio recordings involving Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, his son Bilal Erdoğan, his son-in-law Berat Albayrak, ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) Deputy Parliamentary Group Chair Nurettin Canikli, and Prime Ministry Cabinet Chief Hasan Doğan.

One of them was an audio recording of a phone call between Canikli and Doğan, at the center of which was the Council of State.

CHP Deputy Chair Umut Oran filed five separate motions on March 10, regarding two deputy prime ministers, Bülent Arınç and Ali Babacan.

Oran quoted Canikli as allegedly telling Doğan in the recording, “They [The Council of State reports] fortunately didn’t come to the Parliament floor because the reports are miserable ... You know, what if these reports had come through?”

Oran then asked why Canikili had delivered such remarks.

“Why did Doğan say, ‘They would break us up,’ upon these remarks? Did your government make an arrangement to prevent the Council of State reports from being sent to Parliament in order to cover up irregularities and corruption in the reports? What is the reason for Canikli to say, ‘When you look, they are all our guys,’ referring to the Council of State?” Oran asked, questioning whether the Council of State is an independent body or whether its members are now being elected according to their ‘loyalty to the AKP government.’”

Quoting Canikli, he also asked “what the terrific things within the Council of State’s 2013 reports are.”
“Is what Doğan said, ‘In the future, they would make life miserable for everybody before the courts’ about the government’s corruption and irregularities? What are the business and operations of the AKP government and the Council of Ministers that will be subject to trial at courts? Did you or will you give an order for an administrative examination regarding these issues?” Oran asked.