No suspects sentenced in Deniz Feneri embezzlement case

ISTANBUL

An Istanbul court made a decision May 13 on the German-linked Deniz Feneri (Lighthouse e.V.) charity embezzlement case to either acquit the suspects involved in the case, or drop the case entirely due to a lapse of time.

The first hearing of the case involving an embezzlement scandal in the charity was held in January 2013 at Istanbul’s 6th Court for Serious Crimes with the rejection of requests for the complainants to be listed as interveners.

The 20 defendants in the case, including former Supreme Board of Radio and Television (RTÜK) head Zahid Akman, were charged with forgery, involvement in forgery conducted by a public official and abuse of confidence while on duty, each an offense that carries a jail term of up to 14-and-a-half years.

An investigation was launched after a Frankfurt court in 2008 convicted three managers of the charity in Germany for embezzling 40 million euros. Most of the money allegedly ended up in Turkey in the coffers of the Kanal 7 television channel and a business group whose owners were reportedly close to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).