Bolu Municipality Bribery Investigation: Tanju Ozcan Presents Defense, Says 'We Will Accept Our Punishment'

The trial of the defendants in the bribery investigation against the Bolu Municipality has begun. Tanju Ozcan presented his defense, stating that there are six charges against him in the indictment.

If I am accused of corruption, I should have profited from it. I thoroughly examined the 178-page indictment, but I couldn't find the phrase 'Tanju Ozcan profited from this action, his relatives, and children.'

Ozcan argued that there is no financial accusation against him in the MASAK report and the examined documents. He stated that if the phrase 'Tanju Ozcan and his friends, by pressuring the rich, provided resources to the poor' is proven, they will accept their punishment.Ozcan pointed out that mayors have unwritten duties in addition to their written ones and that establishing BolSev was for this purpose.

They were supposed to call each other during the week. We didn't discuss the amount with him, just that he would give it for advertising. Ali Sarıyildız called and said he had given a check for 1.5 million.

Regarding the allegations that he demanded 2.5 million lira from contractor N.G, Ozcan said he had known N.G before but had never had a close relationship with him.On February 28, the Bolu Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched a bribery investigation against the Bolu Municipality, and 19 people were detained. Tanju Ozcan, his deputy mayors, and other officials were arrested, and some were released under judicial control.The 178-page indictment prepared by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office requests that Tanju Ozcan be sentenced to a total of 90 years and 3 months to 263 years and 6 months in prison for each of the charges against him.