7 defendants face up to 22 years in prison over deadly firework factory blast

* Photo: Emre Ayvaz / AA

Click to read the article in Turkish

The trial over the explosion that happened at the Coşkunlar Firework Factory and claimed the lives of seven workers and wounded 128 people in Sakarya's Hendek continued yesterday (December 6).

Seven defendants, two arrested pending trial, had their fifth hearing at the Sakarya 1st High Criminal Court in western Turkey.

Yaşar Coşkun and Hasan Ali Velioğlu, the owners of the company and the two arrested defendants of the case, attended the hearing from prison via the Audio and Visual Information System (SEGBİS). While defendants Ali Rıza Ergenç Coşkun, Erşan Öztürk, Asiye Angın and Aslı Bozkurt were present in the courtroom, Ahmet Çağrıcı did not attend the hearing.

CLICK - Sakarya fireworks blast: Amount of stored explosives was above legal limits, experts find

Prosecutor's opinion met with objections

Following the statements of the lawyers regarding the documents added to the case file, the public prosecutor's office presented its final opinion as to the accusations and demanded that seven defendants be sentenced to 2 years, 8 months to 22 years, 6 months each on charge of "causing the death or injury of more than one person by gross negligence."

The prosecutor's office also requested that Yaşar Coşkun and Hasan Ali Velioğlu, the arrested defendants, remain behind bars.

Taking the floor in response, the lawyers of the complaints said that the defendants should be penalized for "eventual intent" and requested time to prepare their statements of defense as to the accusations.

Defendant Yaşar Coşkun's lawyers also requested time for the defense as to the accusations and the release of their client.

The other defendants and their lawyers also expressed disagreement with the prosecutor's opinion and requested time for defenses.

Arrested defendant Yaşar Coşkun indicated that he did not accept the prosecutor's opinion as to the accusations and the expert report, adding that he did not want to come to the hearings on the grounds that they stay in a quarantine ward for 15 days upon their return from the hearings. He said that he wanted to attend the hearings via the SEGBİS for this reason.

Handing down its interim judgement, the court board has ruled that Yaşar Coşkun and Hasan Ali Velioğlu remain in prison pending trial. Giving time to the parties to prepare their statements of defense as to the accusations, the board has adjourned the hearing until January 31, 2022.

What happened?

An explosion happened at the Coşkunlar Firework Factory, which was located on a 15-decare land in Sakarya's Hendek, on July 3, 2020. While the blast was felt in the neighboring provinces as well, seven workers lost their lives and 128 people were wounded in the incident.

As part of the investigation into the explosion, five people, including the owners of the factory, were arrested. The summary of proceedings prepared by the Hendek Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, which carried out the investigation into the blast, was sent to the Sakarya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. The Sakarya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office issued a 27-page indictment against the seven suspects, including the owners of the firework company where the blast occurred.

The indictment demanded that the defendants be sentenced to 2 years, 8 months to 22 years, 6 months each on charge of "causing the death or injury of more than one person by gross negligence".

Of the ones arrested pending trial, occupational safety specialist Aslı Bozkurt was released on probation at the second hearing.

Managing director Asiye Angın and headworker Ersan Öztürk, who had also been released following the third hearing, were arrested upon the appeals of the Sakarya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and some complainants; however, upon the appeals of the related defendants and their lawyers, they were released from prison again. (HA/SD)