Gang leader falls through ceiling of Istanbul court while trying to escape

A group of convicts who were involved in a robbery were brought to the courthouse to give their testimonies on June 30 and taken into custody on the first floor. The gang members reportedly hoisted their leader onto their shoulders in an attempt to help him escape. The man broke a fluorescent lamp and climbed up onto the court’s plywood ceiling. However, he fell into the room of the secretariat of the 12 Court of First Instance when the plywood ceiling collapsed. 

Police were able to detain the gang leader before he left the courthouse. 

An investigation was opened into the incident. The other gang members were taken to prison after giving their testimonies. 

Meanwhile, Attorney General Ali Doğan did not comment on the incident as he was not permitted by the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK), saying only that the gang leader had been arrested.

The ceiling of the courthouse was covered with plywood as it was an office building before being converted into a three-story courthouse.