5 June 2010 / TODAY’S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
As the latest detainees in the Ergenekon case testify to civilian prosecutors, details of Tuesday’s detention operation are continuing to emerge. One of the suspects said he received a phone call from his boss advising him to hide a laptop and confidential documents shortly before he was detained.
The surprising admission came from Hakan Vural, the driver of Tülay Bekar. Bekar is the lawyer for former Justice Minister Seyfi Oktay. Vural, Bekar and Oktay were detained on Tuesday along with four other individuals. The detentions were at the behest of civilian prosecutors overseeing the investigation into Ergenekon -- a criminal organization accused of working to overthrow the government -- on suspicion that the suspects were attempting to influence the course of the Ergenekon probe.From a legal wiretap, prosecutors understood that the suspects were planning to destroy evidence related to the Ergenekon case. Bekar called her driver on the phone and ordered him to hide her laptop and several documents in her house and office. Vural confirmed the phone call in his testimony.
After the phone call, a court issued search warrants for the suspects’ homes and offices. Police raids at 12 addresses in several Turkish cities revealed pieces of evidence that the suspects were working to influence the course of the Ergenekon probe. Seven individuals were detained after the raid and are still being questioned by prosecutors. They are accused of evidence tampering. After the interrogation is completed, the detainees will either be released or referred to a court for arrest.
