Mayor accused for ‘misfeance in office’

ANKARA 

The Supreme Court has ruled that the act of a mayor who approved the license of a collapsed building in Van earthquake constituted “misfeasance in office,” making a precedent decision for quake crimes.

As part of the lawsuits against buildings destroyed in the Van Earthquake in 2011, it was determined that the quality of concrete used in the construction of a building did not comply with the level specified in the building regulations.

Despite this, the mayor of the district signed the license.

In this context, the Supreme Court of Appeals ruled that the mayor, who signed the license of the building that clearly did not comply with the regulation, should be tried for “misfeasance in office.”

This decision is a precedent for the cases within the scope of earthquake crimes created for the Feb. 6 quakes.

Meanwhile, initial work is being carried out to bring a constitutional obstacle to the zoning amnesty, which is on the agenda after the devastating earthquakes, in which many buildings that do not comply with the legislation were demolished, daily Hürriyet reported.

Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ earlier suggested that zoning crimes should be included among the unforgivable crimes in the Constitution.

After his statement, it was learned that a study has been carried out on making an addition for quake crimes to the regulation that forest crimes cannot be forgiven in Article 169 of the Constitution.

A special article will be also added to the Turkish Penal Code regarding quake and epidemic periods.

Accordingly, those who make an unjust and unlawful exorbitant increase in rents, transportation services and necessary materials during quakes and epidemics are expected to be imprisoned for at least two years and to be sentenced to heavy fine.