CHP MP Başarır files a criminal complaint against Demirören Holding, Ziraat Bank

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Republican People's Party (CHP) Mersin MP Ali Mahir Başarır has filed a criminal complaint against the executive board members of the Demirören Holding and the state-owned Ziraat Bank on charges of "aggravated fraud", "misconduct in office" and "violating the Banking Law".

In his petition of criminal complaint submitted to the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office yesterday (January 13), main opposition MP Başarır indicated that "a 700-million-dollar acquisition loan and a 100-million-dollar working capital loan, 800 million dollars in total, were received from the Ziraat Bank through the agency of the executive board members of the Demirören Holding on April 5, 2018 and the actions taken by the executive board members of both the Demirören Holding and the Ziraat Bank after the former's failure to pay back the loans constitute a crime."

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'Overvaluation of the immovables'

The petition of CHP's Ali Mahir Başarır has noted that the 800-million-dollar loan debt of the Demirören Holding was restructured following its failure to pay it back and in exchange for its loan debt, the Holding transferred 22 immovable properties (lands and agricultural fields) to the Ziraat Bank, which were indicated in the loan collateral of the working capital loan received from the bank and mentioned in the reports of the Court of Accounts.

Başarır underlined that during this transfer, the overvaluation of the related immovable properties was the case.

The MP noted that the Ziraat Bank did not exercise its right to become a shareholder in the related companies in this process and considered the lands and agricultural fields of the company to be housing zones and the company paid off its debt through this overvaluation.

Başarır has requested a public action

For the above reasons, Ali Mahir Başarır has requested that a public action be filed against the executive board members of the Demirören Holding and Ziraat bank on charges of "aggravated fraud", "misconduct in office" and "violating the Banking Law".

Making a statement in front of the İstanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan after filing the criminal complaint, Başarır stated that Demirören Holding has not paid back the loans it received from the state-owned Ziraat Bank and noted that the bank "has neither sent a written warning nor started executive proceedings or filed a criminal complaint." (HA/SD)