Ankara: Istanbul’s chief public prosecutor filed a sweeping indictment against the city’s jailed mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, holding him responsible for 142 alleged criminal offences related to corruption and organised crime and demanding lengthy prison terms, Turkish media reports said.
Imamoglu, a prominent opposition figure widely seen as a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested in March along with several municipal officials who were accused of running a criminal organisation, accepting bribes, extortion and bid-rigging. He has denied all allegations. Critics view the accusations as a politically motivated effort to weaken the main opposition. His arrest triggered the largest wave of public demonstrations in Turkey in over a decade.
Chief Prosecutor Akin Gurlek said the indictment is 3,900 pages and names 402 suspects including Imamoglu as the chief suspect, private Haberturk television and other media reported. A trial date is expected to be set once the court formally accepts the indictment.