Former Prime Minister, UBP Deputy Hüseyin Özgürgün, whose resignation request was rejected by the UBP-DP-YDP minority coalition government, has replied to criticisms about receiving his salary without attending parliament for months.
He said: ”I have been granted the right to retire, I have no problems of conscience about my salary”.
Özgürgün said that if the “resignation petition” had been accepted in parliament, where he served for 22 years, he would receive bonuses and pensions over 33 years.
Saying, “I have no conscience about getting my salary without participating in the work of the Assembly“, Özgürgün also claimed that he did not participate in the Assembly due to political reactions.
The former prime minister who faces charges is in self-exile in Turkey.
An article published by Yeniduzen in February, 2020 stated that Özgürgün, who faces charges of “unfair acquisition of property” and “irregularity in property declaration” during his time as prime minister, appealed to the court against the decision to have his immunity lifted.
A special parliamentary committee voted to lift his immunity as an MP on the grounds that he had deposited large amounts of money in foreign currency and Turkish lira in his bank accounts during his time as prime minister.
Özgürgün left the island in October 2019 and has not returned, so the case cannot proceed.
If he should return to North Cyprus to face trial and found to be guilty, he could be sentenced to a fine of 20,000 TL or imprisonment up to five years.
Yeniduzen
