Criminal court judge arrested on bribery charges in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

A judge at criminal court of serious crimes and a lawyer were arrested in Istanbul on April 24 on charges of “accepting and giving bribes,” Doğan News Agency has reported.

Police detained the head of the Istanbul 3rd Criminal Court of Serious Crimes, H.A., and lawyer S.B. in the latter’s office in Istanbul’s Pendik district on April 19 on claims that he accepted a bribe from a suspicious businessman in ordering a release in a case. 

Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Fehmi Tosun, who launched an investigation upon receiving a tipoff from a lawyer, sent the suspects to a court with a demand for their arrest. 

The lawyer for H.A., Ahmet Yıldız, said his client had not accepted any bribe, adding that voice records showed he had not released anyone in exchange for a bribe.     

H.A. allegedly asked for 100,000 Turkish Liras to be brought to S.B.’s bureau as a bribe for a release ruling that he previously made. 

Another individual allegedly brought $50,000 to the bureau in Pendik district, but H.A. and S.B. were reportedly caught in the act by Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor Abdurrahman Üşenmez and police officers who detained the judge and the lawyer.