No Evidence Found for Alleged £2.5 Million at Famagusta Port

Addressing the allegations during the Ministry of Finance budget discussions, Öztekin stated, “We received no formal report, but treated the rumors as a tip-off and conducted a two-day search of the ship. No evidence was found.”

Responding to a question from CTP MP Sami Özuslu, Öztekin explained that after informing Finance Minister Özdemir Berova, they coordinated with financial police to search the ship and inspect vehicles unloaded from it. These inspections targeted not only money but also smuggled goods and drugs. Despite their efforts, no findings supported the allegations.

Providing details on the operation, Öztekin said the ship, chartered by agencies, transported 240 vehicles, including trucks and bulldozers, from the UK to Famagusta Port, arriving on the morning of November 21. The unloading began that afternoon and continued until midnight, with five customs officers overseeing the process. He emphasized that no irregularities were observed.

Four vehicles with battery or engine issues remained on the ship, while all others underwent manual inspections by financial police and X-ray scans, conducted 30 times. “Almost all vehicles were scanned. Financial police returned to the port on Saturday for further searches, but no evidence was uncovered. We also reviewed security camera footage from the port entrances and exits,” Öztekin stated.

When questioned about reports of dismantled glove compartments in some vehicles, Öztekin confirmed such observations but noted that this was not an uncommon occurrence.

He also mentioned that no media outlet had contacted him for clarification or comments regarding the allegations.