12th Justice Package Enacted: Amnesty for IBAN Scam Victims

A new regulation brings amnesty for victims of IBAN scams. The 12th Justice Package has introduced significant changes in various areas.The law, which was enacted by the Turkish Grand National Assembly, brings about changes in criminal law, legal proceedings, education of judges and prosecutors, genetic research, interest calculations, postponement of the announcement of the verdict, and the structure of the Council of State.According to the newly added clause to Article 158 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), if the participation in fraud or qualified fraud crimes is limited to providing information or tools related to bank accounts, IBAN, bank or credit cards to others for the purpose of gaining unfair advantage, the sentence will be reduced by half.The new regulation will apply to cases that were pending in higher courts before the law came into effect. The cases will be sent back to the lower courts for retrial. Some convicts who are serving their sentences will be able to benefit from effective remorse if they compensate the victim within 6 months.