Indictment seeks up to 2,352 years in prison for İmamoğlu

An indictment in a wide-ranging corruption investigation into the opposition-controlled İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality has been finalized, listing Ekrem İmamoğlu, the suspended mayor, among 402 defendants, 105 of whom are currently under arrest.

The 3,700-page indictment accuses İmamoğlu of 142 separate offenses and seeks between 828 and 2,352 years in prison. “Establishing and leading a criminal organization,” as well as “bribery” and “accepting bribes” are among the charges faced by the defendants.

İmamoğlu, a member of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), was detained on Mar 19 and later arrested along with dozens of others, including municipal staff and businesspeople. A few days after İmamoğlu’s arrest, the CHP declared him as its candidate for the 2028 presidential election. The arrest led to largest countrywide protests in a decade.

İmamoğlu won the İstanbul mayoral race in 2019, ending the control held by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s party and its predecessors since 1994, when Erdoğan himself was first elected mayor of the city, and was re-elected in last year’s poll. He was re-elected in last year’s poll. Since becoming the mayor, İmamoğlu has emerged as a prominent figure within the CHP and was widely regarded as a political rival to Erdoğan.

Following the operation in İstanbul, the corruption probes expanded to other municipalities led by the CHP. The mayors of major cities such as Adana and Antalya, as well as several districts, have also been detained.

The indictment

The indictment, submitted to the İstanbul 40th Heavy Penal Court, repeatedly uses the phrase “like the arms of an octopus” to describe the alleged criminal network led by İmamoğlu, an expression often used by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Prosecutors also accuse İmamoğlu of attempting to “seize control of the CHP” and of “forming an organization to raise funds for his presidential campaign.” The indictment claims that the alleged criminal network caused 160 billion liras and 24 million US dollars in public losses.

The first section of the indictment describes the “general structure and characteristics” of the alleged criminal organization. The second section provides a summary of the investigation. The third focuses on İmamoğlu’s time as mayor of the Beylikdüzü district between 2014-2019, portraying him as the “organization leader.”

The fourth section details alleged actions carried out during his tenure as İstanbul mayor, stating that the network expanded “across the city like the arms of an octopus.”

The fifth and sixth sections address allegations related to subsidiaries of the İstanbul municipality. The final section classifies the charges against the suspects and outlines the relevant articles of the penal code.

The indictment lists 92 individuals as “organization members,” incuding six “leaders” while hundreds of others are described as “connected to the organization but not members.”

Images showing cash transactions during the CHP İstanbul provincial headquarters purchase are described as “the first leaked footage linked to the organization’s activities.”

Prosecutors reiterated accusations that İmamoğlu formed an organization to take control of the CHP and to raise funds for his presidential bid.

Charges against İmamoğlu

The indictment seeks punishment for 142 acts allegedly committed by İmamoğlu, including “forming a criminal organization,” 12 counts of “bribery,” seven counts of “money laundering,” six counts of “fraud against public institutions,” five counts of “rigging public tenders,” two counts each of “forging official documents,” “concealing and disseminating official documents,” and “destroying criminal evidence,” as well as “damaging public property” (four counts), “spreading misleading information to the public” (three counts), and violations related to personal data (seven counts in total).

Additional accusations include failing to report to the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), laundering assets obtained through smuggling, environmental pollution, and violations of the Forest Law and Civil Code.

The cumulative prison sentence sought for these charges ranges from 828 to 2,352 years.

Response from CHP

CHP leader Özgür Özel dismissed the indictment as “written by Erdoğan,” describing İmamoğlu’s detention as a coup. “This is not an indictment, but a memorandum by coup plotters targeting politics,” he said. “What we are experiencing is not legal in nature, but purely the result of one person’s political ambition.”

İmamoğlu also responded on social media, stating, “The indictment you’ve written consists of lies extracted through threats, coercion, and slander, binding people together in chains of fear.”

“Do you truly have the courage? Then I challenge you!” he added. “Broadcast the trial live. Let the public witness your lies and slanders. Trust in the conscience of society and the people’s sense of justice for once. Let the people decide: are we the criminals, or those running this unlawful investigation?” (AB/VK)