KSTU Trial of Serdal Gündüz and Berk Özbek Postponed to September 30

During the hearing, presided over by Chief Judge Füsun Cemaller, Senior Judge Vedia B. Barkın, and Judge Tutku Candaş, the court decided to adjourn the case until the end of the month.

Defense attorney Doğa Zeki, representing Serdal Gündüz, stated that there were significant issues with the case files. Zeki mentioned discussions with the prosecutor and said they had submitted requests regarding the evidence presented to the court.

Zeki emphasized that many crucial files had yet to be received, noting that during the preliminary inquiry (PI), they were not given access to several documents. He also remarked that although the bail period for the fake diploma case had expired, no charges related to forged diplomas had been filed.

Berk Özbek’s lawyer, Hasan Yücelen, expressed concerns about not having received the necessary documents as well.

Senior Prosecutor Mustafa İldeniz acknowledged the complexity of the case and stressed the importance of conducting the preliminary inquiry for all cases. He added that opinions had been submitted for two forged diploma cases and that the remaining files were expected to be received by the end of September.

Charges Against the Defendants

The defendants face multiple charges, including “obtaining money by deception,” “fraud,” “issuing and circulating forged documents,” “committing fraud and deceit in accounts,” “money laundering,” “incitement to issue payment orders,” and “theft by an employee.”

At the initial hearing at the Güzelyurt District Court, the defendants were charged with a total of 98 offenses.