Seventeen individuals arrested in widened probe on bribery allegations within Antalya Municipality
Antalya, Turkey - A significant bribery scheme involving officials from the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality has been uncovered, with Mayor Muhittin Böcek and his son Mustafa Gökhan Böcek among those implicated. According to the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, four contractors who won tenders from the municipality are alleged to have paid a total of approximately 195 million Turkish Lira ($4.79 to $6 million) in bribes to secure progress payments on contracts[1][2][5].
The investigation reveals that the illicit payments were funneled through a currency exchange bureau in Finike, then converted into gold at affiliated jewelry stores. Some of the illicit funds were used to buy luxury vehicles, which were registered under different names to hide the paper trail. Transfers were disguised as foreign currency trading or scrap gold sales, and the money was stored in safes or moved offshore[1][2][4].
Seventeen suspects have been detained so far, including Mayor Böcek, his son Mustafa Gökhan Böcek, and other family members such as his daughter-in-law Zuhal Böcek. Some municipal officials have also been detained or arrested on related charges like extortion and money laundering. Trustees were appointed to manage the implicated currency exchange office and two jewelry businesses involved in laundering activities[1][4][5].
The operations were carried out by Provincial Police Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime teams, with simultaneous raids at predetermined addresses[6]. The investigation file contains technical investigations and suspect confessions as evidence[7].
Mayor Böcek was initially detained and subsequently arrested, with the Interior Ministry suspending him from his duties. The investigation is ongoing, with court proceedings underway for many of the detained individuals. The bribery scheme appears deeply entrenched within the municipality's tendering processes, and authorities are working to uncover the extent of the corruption[3][4][5].
[1] https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/news/antalyas-mayor-arrested-in-bribery-probe-167186 [2] https://www.trtworld.com/turkey/turkeys-antalyas-mayor-arrested-over-alleged-bribery-scandal-32566 [3] https://www.anadoluagency.com/en/news/19682869-antalyas-mayor-arrested-over-bribery-scandal [4] https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/news/antalyas-mayor-s-daughter-in-law-detained-over-alleged-money-laundering-167185 [5] https://www.trtworld.com/turkey/four-businessmen-detained-in-turkeys-antalyas-mayor-bribery-probe-32606 [6] https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/news/antalyas-mayor-arrested-in-bribery-probe-167186 [7] https://www.trtworld.com/turkey/turkeys-antalyas-mayor-arrested-over-alleged-bribery-scandal-32566
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