Rıza Sarraf on List of ‘Potential Witnesses’
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Rıza Sarraf, who was arrested in the United States on four different charges including bypassing sanctions against Iran and money laundering and facing up to 95 years in prison,
According to Reuters’ latest report, it has become definite that trial of Sarraf won’t be held this week. Only Halkbank Former Manager Hakan Atilla will appear before judge for the hearing that will start on December 4 and will last for 2 to 4 weeks.
His father and lawyer are on the list as well
On the other hand, New York Times correspondent Benjamin Weiser shared the image of “list of potential witnesses” submitted to the court with his followers. In addition to Rıza Sarraf and his father Hüseyin Zarrab, his lawyer Şeyda Yıldırım, Iranian business person Bebek Zencani are also on the list.
#3 Here is Reza Zarrab's name as it appears on a list given to prospective jurors in the Atilla trial of "potential witnesses in this case and names that may come up during trial." This means, of course, that #Zarrab could be a witness or merely that his name will be mentioned. pic.twitter.com/miHdWITf5f
— Benjamin Weiser (@BenWeiserNYT) 27 Kasım 2017
Name of the case changed to “US vs Atilla”
Doğan News Agency (DHA) correspondent to New York Nafiz Albayrak reported that trier Judge Richard Berman said that “the only defendant of the Sarraf trial will be Atilla”.
It was also announced that the name of the case changed from “US vs Sarraf” to “US vs Atilla”.
The hearing will start at 5:30 p.m. local time in Turkey. The 18 juries were selected yesterday (November 27).
Trial of Rıza Sarraf
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 facing up to 95 years of imprisonment denied the accusations of conspiring to evade US sanctions against Iran, money laundering and bank fraud. (PT/TK)