Ex-envoy acquitted on wine charges

ANKARA

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A court in Ankara acquitted former ambassador Daryal Batıbay on Dec. 28, for whom a 12.5-year-long imprisonment was being sought for appropriating bottles of wines bought for the consumption of the diplomatic mission when Batıbay was serving as Turkey’s permanent representative to the council of Europe.

The investigation into Batıbay’s actions began following a tip-off received by the Customs Protection Directorate of the Customs and Commerce Ministry, according to the indictment. An informant said there had been around 50 bottles of undeclared alcoholic drinks among the goods transported from Strasbourg to Turkey by Batıbay. “Millions of euros of the state were entrusted to me. I gave an account of every penny of the secret funds that I used,” Batıbay said Dec. 28 before his acquittal.