Yaman distributed free home appliances to needy families when he was the governor of Tunceli in 2009.The court also disqualified him from employment in state institutions. The prison sentence was suspended and will be dropped if Yaman does not commit a similar crime in the next five years.
The distribution, ahead of the March 2009 local elections, has long been criticized by many since it was seen as part of the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) election campaign. The governor and the AK Party were accused of using the financial resources of the state to serve the party’s own interests.
The Supreme Election Board (YSK) found that Yaman did not apply the YSK’s principles of aiming to create an atmosphere conducive to fair elections and made a complaint to the Interior Ministry about the distribution of home appliances. The ministry appointed two inspectors to investigate the complaint. The Supreme Court of Appeals’ Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office filed a lawsuit against Yaman and demanded a prison sentence of between six months and one year.
