Testimony and Evidence Presentation
Investigating officer Ortunç Özbaylı completed his testimony in four sessions. The court, which presented 18 additional pieces of evidence yesterday, recorded a total of 50 pieces of evidence. Özbaylı testified that a student named Melisa Karakaş deposited 5,610 US dollars into Berke Özbek’s account on September 29, 2023, as a tuition fee for the Faculty of Medicine. Özbaylı stated that Özbek withdrew 7,000 dollars in cash in two transactions, presenting the bank statements and receipts as evidence.
Evidence from WhatsApp and Bank Accounts
During the two-hour hearing, Özbaylı submitted WhatsApp correspondences between the defendants and students, and bank account documents as evidence. He also provided receipts showing that Özbek made purchases with money sent by students and presented transcripts and course registration documents of three students from the Student Affairs Directorate at KTSU.
Examination of University Accounts
The investigation revealed that the amounts in question were not deposited into the university’s accounts. Özbaylı stated that the accounts of İş Bankası, Ziraat Bankası, Albank Ltd., Creditwest, and Garanti Bankası, where the university holds accounts, were examined, and the amounts were not found. He presented the account statements from these banks as evidence.
Testimony Regarding Share Transfer and Denial of Charges
Özbaylı mentioned that the defendant Serdal Gündüz sold his shares to Efe Uysal, as confirmed by the board of directors of Helpco Education Co. Ltd., and presented this decision as evidence. He also noted that Gündüz denied the charges related to school fees from eight different students during a prison visit. These charges were recorded as evidence.
Statements from Prosecutor and Defence
Prosecutor Damla Güçlü stated that the case falls within the scope of the heavy penal court and emphasised that this was a preliminary hearing. No one has been found guilty yet, but the testimonies provided sufficient evidence for the defendants to be referred to the heavy penal court. Defence attorney Doğa Zeki stated that they have been listening to the detailed testimony from the prosecution and that the press has been following the case from the beginning. Zeki questioned the whereabouts of Kemal Dürüst and others who were released on bail, mentioning that there are 29 cases with bail conditions but no one has been prosecuted yet. Zeki emphasised the need for all cases to be promptly referred to the Heavy Penal Court, questioning how his client would be judged without the other cases being addressed and noting that they have received no evidence from the prosecution.
Defence Criticism and Judge’s Decision
Attorney Hasan Yücelen, representing the defendant Berke Özbek, noted that instead of a documentary preliminary hearing, they conducted an in-person hearing, criticising the outdated method. Yücelen questioned how they could prepare for a hearing without access to the documents, asking when they would receive the necessary paperwork to defend their clients’ rights. After the statements from the prosecution and defence attorneys, Judge Gülay Süleymanoğlu Uğur postponed the decision to Thursday, June 27, and adjourned the session.
