Halkbank Deputy General Manager Arrested in US

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Halkbank Deputy General Manager Mehmet Hakan Atilla was detained at JFK airport in New York in Rıza Sarraf probe.

Being charged with violating the sanctions imposed on Iran, Atilla has been arrested.

Standing in for Preet Bharara, who served as US Attorney for the Southern District of New York and was discharged by US President Donald Trump, John Kirn submitted a criminal complaint to the federal court in Manhattan. The complaint alleged that Atilla plotted with Rıza Sarraf via the bank to carry out the money transfer worth of hundreds of millions of dollars by for Iranian government to break the sanction from 2010-2015.

Serving as Deputy General Manager in Charge of International Banking at Halkbank since November 2015, Atilla faces a prison term of 30 years over banking fraud and 20 years for breaking the US sanctions.

Atilla was detained one day before US Minister of Foreign Affairs Rex Tillerson’s visit to Turkey. (ÇT/TK)