Prosecutor Bharara Rejects Sarraf’s Bail Offer of 50 Million

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Rıza Sarraf under arrest in US offering to pay a bail of 50 million to be released has been rejected.

According to the reports of  New York Times and Blooomberg, the amount of the bail, Sarraf had proposed to be released was 50 millions.

House arrest suggested

Sarraf under arrest in Metropolitan Prison in Manhattan district of New York via his attorney Benjamin Brafman to pay a bail of 50 million Dollars, 10 of which was cash to the court

Hurriyet daily’s New York correspondent had reported that Sarraf’s attorney Brafman had suggested his client to be detained in a house which would be guarded by security officers and a satellite tracking system 24 hours of the day in return for the bail.

In the 22-page bail offer submitted to the court, it had been pointed out that Sarraf could leave the house he is detained in only for cases of treatment, attorney visits and court hearings.

In the petition, it has also been pointed out that Sarraf had serious health problems such as colon polyps, ulcer and a tumor beside his kidney.

It has been argued that Sarraf needed to be under regular doctor control and his treatment would be much easier in case the bail offer was accepted.

Jim Morgolin; spokesperson of Chief Prosecutor Preet Bharara’s Office has rejected Sarraf’s bail offer on grounds that the offer was “inadequate”.  

Attorney Brafman will apply to court to discuss the issue once again on the hearing about the bail.

What had happened?

Rıza Sarraf was arrested on December 21 within the scope of December 17-25 corruption and bribery investigation. He was released after 70 days of imprisonment.

Iranian businessperson Babek Zencani, pointed as Sarraf’s partner in Iran was sentenced to capital punishment on charge of corruption on March 6, 2016.

Zencani has companies in Turkey too. Kont Group Cosmetics in Beşiktaş district of İstanbul is one of them. Zencani is also allegedly linked with Onur Air. Zencani’s attorneys in the past few days had stated in the lawsuit they brought in İstanbul that Onur Air belongs to them.

Zencani is associated with Rıza Sarraf frequently during this period. In the report prepared by inspectors of the Ministry of Customs and Trade, a relation between the two has been mentioned.

Sarraf had been taken into custody in Miami city airport while trying to enter the United States and arrested on March 22.

On his first hearing on April 27, Sarraf tried demanding 75  years of imprisonment has denied the accusations of conspiring to evade US sanctions against Iran, money laundering and bank fraud.

The first hearing lasted 15 minutes. His next hearing will be on June 16, 2016 (AS/DG)