Istanbul's jailed mayor Imamoglu faces 142 criminal charges in corruption probe

Istanbul’s main nationalist authoritative has filed an indictment against the city's jailed mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu

ANKARA, Turkey -- Istanbul’s main nationalist authoritative filed a sweeping indictment against the city's jailed mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, holding him liable for 142 alleged transgression offenses related to corruption and organized transgression and demanding lengthy situation terms, Turkish media reports said.

Imamoglu, a salient absorption fig wide seen arsenic a cardinal rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested successful March on with respective municipal officials who were accused of moving a transgression organization, accepting bribes, extortion and bid-rigging. He has powerfully denied each allegations.

Critics presumption the accusations arsenic a politically motivated effort to weaken the main opposition. His apprehension triggered the largest question of nationalist demonstrations successful Turkey successful implicit a decade.

Chief Prosecutor Akın Gurlek said the indictment is 3,900 pages and names 402 suspects including Imamoglu arsenic the main suspect, backstage Haberturk tv and different media reported.

Imamoglu was charged with organizing a transgression group, 12 counts of bribery, 7 counts of wealth laundering and 7 counts of fraud, according to Gurlek's office. Additionally, helium is held liable for aggregate crimes allegedly committed by others including bribery, fraud and tender-rigging.

A proceedings day is expected to beryllium acceptable erstwhile the tribunal formally accepts the indictment. If convicted of each charges, helium could beryllium sentenced to 2,352 years successful prison, Haberturk tv reported.

The corruption lawsuit is 1 of respective ineligible proceedings targeting Imamoglu.

Last month, prosecutors filed espionage charges against him related to an probe of his governmental run and a businessman arrested successful July for reportedly conducting quality activities connected behalf of overseas governments.

Imamoglu is accused of transferring idiosyncratic information of Istanbul residents to unafraid planetary backing for his campaign. He has dismissed the charges arsenic “nonsense.”

Other ongoing ineligible cases see allegations of insulting members of the Supreme Election Council, threats and insults directed astatine Gurlek, the prosecutor, and accusations of diploma and papers forgery.

Critics presumption the ineligible cases, on with cases against different mayors and officials from the main absorption Republican People’s Party, arsenic portion of a broader crackdown pursuing a beardown show successful past year’s section elections. Several municipalities tally by the enactment person faced waves of arrests passim the year.

The authorities rejects the accusations, insisting the judiciary is autarkic and the investigations are focused connected corruption oregon different wrongdoing.

Sponsored Content by Taboola