Retired Gendarmerie Forces Commander Gen. Eruygur is suspected to have spent TL 13 million of the gendarmerie's discretionary funds. While another retired general and Ergenekon suspect, Levent Ersöz, was questioned last month by civilian prosecutors and Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) auditors as part of the investigation, Eruygur has not testified yet.
He recently sent a medical report to prosecutors conducting the investigation stating that he is suffering from severe amnesia which prevents him from testifying to the prosecutors. The Ergenekon prosecutors are reportedly expecting the İstanbul 13th High Criminal Court, which is hearing the Ergenekon case, to request a Council of Forensic Medicine (ATK) report on Eruygur’s health.
Eruygur, who was released from prison last year for reasons of health, is facing charges of being a senior leader of Ergenekon, a group suspected of being responsible for various subversive acts that have taken place in Turkey in recent times. The prosecution is demanding three consecutive life sentences for Eruygur. Eruygur faces a number of charges, including encouraging military personnel to disobey orders; acquiring sensitive and classified information concerning state security, including damaging documents; being in possession of firearms and ammunition; attempting to destroy Parliament and attempting to prevent it from performing its duties; inciting the people to revolt against the government of the Republic of Turkey; attempting to destroy the government of the Republic of Turkey and attempting to prevent it from performing its duties; and violating the privacy of individuals. Eruygur, who spent much of his retirement heading the nationalist group known as the Atatürkist Thought Association (ADD), was released from prison pending trial after sustaining a head injury that required brain surgery last year.
In November of last year, BDDK auditors and inspectors from the Finance Ministry finalized their examination of the “financial resources of Ergenekon” and discovered that Eruygur had transferred TL 7 million out of the TL 13 million in discretionary funds used over a period of two years to the bank accounts of five individuals close to him. It was revealed that these individuals withdrew the money from their accounts in cash.
It was also disclosed that Eruygur has 39 bank accounts opened in his name at a state bank in Ankara and that money transfers amounting to millions of Turkish lira were made between these bank accounts. Millions of Turkish lira were transferred to Eruygur’s account from the gendarmerie bank account at the same bank.
The five individuals who were allegedly the recipients of the discretionary fund cash were 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 employer Hakan Şanlı had been detained as part of the Ergenekon investigation as the company is accused of manufacturing illegal wiretapping equipment for Ergenekon, allegedly received TL 5.3 million. This money was withdrawn from the bank in cash. Cömert, the alleged recipient of TL 1.1 million, was a senior sergeant known for his closeness to Eruygur. The money in this account has also been withdrawn. Öner allegedly received TL 900,000 from the discretionary fund, which was withdrawn 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 of Sama Defense Services Inc., owned by Şanlı, and Amaç Petroleum Products, co-owned by Hasan Atilla Uğur, an Ergenekon suspect. Beyazıt allegedly received TL 45,000 from the fund.
