Former generals’ homes raided in Ergenekon discretionary fund probe

One of the places searched was Ergenekon suspect retired Gen. Levent Ersöz's room at the İstanbul University Faculty of Medicine Hospital. Ersöz and several other generals are accused of misrouting discretionary funds allocated for the gendarmerie to their own personal bank accounts. Squads from the İstanbul Police Department's counterterrorism unit arrived at the İstanbul University Faculty of Medicine Hospital and searched Gen. Ersöz's room in the infectious diseases ward. The search lasted three hours.

Although the items seized have not been revealed, reporters note the officers left with black nylon bags containing what appeared to be documents. Also on Tuesday night, there were searches in Üsküdar’s Selimiye neighborhood. Police sources said the homes of Ersöz’s mother-in-law and an office of his brother’s ex-wife were searched during this time. There was also a search in the Ankara house of the retired general, where his wife, Muzaffer Ersöz, currently resides. Ersöz’s lawyer Ali Rıza Dizdar said of the searches: “Those from the police department carried out their duties with the necessary conduct. Records of everything seized have been signed by myself. Records kept during the search were faxed to my office immediately.”

On Monday, Fikret Seçen, one of the prosecutors conducting the investigation into Ergenekon, heard testimony from Ersöz, who was asked questions about allegations that money from the Gendarmerie General Command’s discretionary fund was transferred to private accounts when retired Gen. Şener Eruygur, who is also an Ergenekon suspect, was in charge of the command. According to the allegations, during the two years Eruygur headed the Gendarmerie General Command, TL 7.5 million out of the TL 13 million in the gendarmerie discretionary fund was transferred to the bank accounts of five individuals. The current location of this money is unknown.

Yesterday Dizdar distributed photos of the search of his client’s hospital room and a recording of Ersöz being questioned by a prosecutor at the Beşitkaş Courthouse. According to the recording, Ersöz’s interrogation lasted 15 minutes. Prosecutors Seçen and Mehmet Murat Yönder asked Ersöz questions about technical equipment purchases from the discretionary fund. During the questioning, Ersöz confirmed allegations that all documents regarding purchases made from the discretionary fund were destroyed by the Gendarmerie General Command. Ersöz also said the destruction procedure was based on earlier precedents, adding that everything was put into the records and Eruygur and gendarmerie officers Recep C., Adnan S., Atilla U. and Hakkı K. signed off on the records.

Ergenekon suspects Eruygur, retired Gen. Hurşit Tolon, retired Col. Atilla Uğur and retired Gen. Hakkı Kılınç also testified yesterday as part of the probe into the discretionary fund. Meanwhile, reporters on the scene said three individuals who appeared to be military officers on active duty were also led into the courthouse from the back door as retired Col. Uğur entered the building to testify to prosecutors.

Investigation details

Sources said the investigators found 39 bank accounts belonging to Eruygur at a bank’s Ankara Bakanlıklar branch. TL 13 million was transferred to these accounts, while TL 7.5 million was transferred into five accounts belonging to other individuals.

Meanwhile, recent reports have confirmed that former Chief of Gen. Staff Hilmi Özkök, who earlier testified as a witness in the investigation, and former force commanders who are accused of having prepared four coup plans titled Sarıkız, Ayışığı, Yakamoz and Eldiven, were also questioned about the fate of the discretionary fund money.

Experts from the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) and auditors from the Finance Ministry have been investigating the suspicious accounts. Their findings were submitted to the Prime Ministry Auditing Board.

The five individuals who were allegedly the recipients of the discretionary fund cash have been identified as Mehmet Sanibal, Recep Cömert, Şükrü Muhammer Öner, Şükrü Kıyak and Mustafa Cem Beyazıt. Sanibal, a senior representative of Rem Foreign Trade Inc. whose employee Hakan Şanlı had been detained as part of Ergenekon as the company is accused of manufacturing illegal wiretapping equipment for Ergenekon, allegedly received TL 5.3 million. This money was taken out from the bank as cash. Cömert, the alleged recipient of TL 1.1 million, was a senior sergeant known for his proximity to Eruygur. The money in this account has also been withdrawn. Öner allegedly received TL 900,000 from the discretionary fund, which has also been taken out in cash. Öner works on behalf of a foreign company, sources close to the investigation said. Kıyak allegedly received TL 180,000. He is an executive with Sama Defense Services Inc., owned by Hakan Şanlı, and Amaç Petroleum Products, co-owned by Hasan Atilla Uğur. Beyazıt has allegedly received TL 45,000 from the fund.

Suicide attempt by Ersöz’s daughter

Also on Tuesday, Ersöz’s daughter Fulya Ersöz was rushed to the İstanbul University Hospital after reportedly slashing her wrists in an attempt to end her life. She showed reporters her wrists with blood still seeping from the cuts, saying: “Look, I committed suicide because of you. I have done this so many times.”