Tweet
DINK MURDER TRIAL AT STANDSTILL AS KEY POLICE CHIEF NOT ASKED TO TESTIFY
Cihan News Agency, Turkey
March 2 2015
ISTANBUL - 02.03.2015 18:50:22
The trial into the 2007 murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant
Dink has come to a standstill because the current head of the National
Police Department's intelligence unit has not been summoned to testify,
despite being the top official responsible for the failure to prevent
the murder from taking place.
As the investigation into Dink's murder deepens, eyes are now focused
on the chief of the National Police Department's intelligence unit,
Engin Dinc, who headed the intelligence unit in Trabzon in 2007
before later being promoted to the national role. Since the murder,
several people working under Dinc have been arrested on charges of
involvement in the murder, but many have recently pointed to his
possible involvement.
Former Trabzon Police Chief ReÅ~_at Altay, summoned by prosecutor
Yusuf Hakkı Dogan to testify in Dink's murder trial in December 2014,
named Dinc during his testimony. According to media reports, Altay
said Dinc had never presented intelligence reports which warned that
a possible attack would target Dink, before the reports were sent to
the National Police Department. Altay reportedly said, "Apart from
the reports, I also do not remember Dinc ever briefing me with any
intelligence that Yasin Hayal was preparing to attack Dink."
Some intelligence reports sent by the Trabzon police to the National
Police Department had warned that Yasin Hayal -- a key figure in the
murder trial -- was planning to assassinate Dink.
During his testimony, Altay also said that Dinc once came to his
office and warned him about a member of the police intelligence team.
Referring to Erhan Tuncel, a key suspect in the ongoing trial, Dinc
reportedly told Altay: "Sir, one of our intelligence team members is
problematic and has an aggressive character. He is constantly demanding
more money. This may result in an undesirable act in the future."
Tuncel is accused of initiating efforts to have Dink murdered.
In response to Dinc, Altay told the prosecutor that when he asked Dinc
what kind of intelligence was being provided by this "problematic"
intelligence team member, Dinc had told Altay that the person
(Tuncel) had been collecting intelligence about ultranationalist
groups operating in Chechnya.
Altay's testimony continued with the news that he had asked Dinc to
bring the intelligence member, Tuncel, to his office, but that Dinc
had refused, saying he would solve the problem himself. "During this
conversation with Dinc, he never told me an attack was being planned
against Dink," Altay told the prosecutor during his testimony.
Three police officers -- Ercan Demir, Ozkan Mumcu and Muhittin Zenit --
who worked under Dinc in the intelligence unit of the Trabzon Police
Department were arrested in January as part of an expanded probe into
Dink's murder. All three police officers had said in their testimonies
that Dinc was the highest authority at the Trabzon Police Department's
intelligence unit, adding that the intelligence reports about Dink
had been prepared by Dinc.
Despite the collection of testimonies pointing the finger a Dinc, the
prosecutor conducting the ongoing murder probe decided not to summon
Dinc to testify. This has triggered suspicion in some quarters as to
whether someone is providing Dinc with immunity against prosecution.
As part of the same investigation, two former heads of the National
Police Department's intelligence unit -- Sabri Uzun and Ramazan Akyurek
-- and a former police chief, Ali Fuat Yılmazer, have testified as
suspects. Other high-profile figures were also called to testify as
suspects, including former Ä°stanbul Police Chief Celalettin Cerrah,
former İstanbul Vice Governor Ergun Gungör and former İstanbul
Police Department Intelligence Unit Chief Ahmet Ä°lhan Guler.
Dink was shot and killed by an ultranationalist teenager. The hitman,
Ogun Samast, and 18 others were brought to trial. Since then, the
lawyers for the Dink family and the co-plaintiffs in the case have
presented evidence indicating that Samast did not act alone. Another
suspect, Yasin Hayal, was given life in prison for inciting Samast
to commit murder.
The retrial started in September 2014, when the Ä°stanbul 5th High
Criminal Court complied with a ruling from the Supreme Court of Appeals
in May 2013 overturning a lower court's ruling that acquitted the
suspects in the Dink murder case of charges of forming a terrorist
organization. This decision paved the way for the trial of public
officials on charges of voluntary manslaughter.
http://en.cihan.com.tr/news/Dink-murder-trial-at-standstill-as-key-police-chief-not-asked-to-testify_5216-CHMTY5NTIxNg==
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Cihan News Agency, Turkey
March 2 2015
ISTANBUL - 02.03.2015 18:50:22
The trial into the 2007 murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant
Dink has come to a standstill because the current head of the National
Police Department's intelligence unit has not been summoned to testify,
despite being the top official responsible for the failure to prevent
the murder from taking place.
As the investigation into Dink's murder deepens, eyes are now focused
on the chief of the National Police Department's intelligence unit,
Engin Dinc, who headed the intelligence unit in Trabzon in 2007
before later being promoted to the national role. Since the murder,
several people working under Dinc have been arrested on charges of
involvement in the murder, but many have recently pointed to his
possible involvement.
Former Trabzon Police Chief ReÅ~_at Altay, summoned by prosecutor
Yusuf Hakkı Dogan to testify in Dink's murder trial in December 2014,
named Dinc during his testimony. According to media reports, Altay
said Dinc had never presented intelligence reports which warned that
a possible attack would target Dink, before the reports were sent to
the National Police Department. Altay reportedly said, "Apart from
the reports, I also do not remember Dinc ever briefing me with any
intelligence that Yasin Hayal was preparing to attack Dink."
Some intelligence reports sent by the Trabzon police to the National
Police Department had warned that Yasin Hayal -- a key figure in the
murder trial -- was planning to assassinate Dink.
During his testimony, Altay also said that Dinc once came to his
office and warned him about a member of the police intelligence team.
Referring to Erhan Tuncel, a key suspect in the ongoing trial, Dinc
reportedly told Altay: "Sir, one of our intelligence team members is
problematic and has an aggressive character. He is constantly demanding
more money. This may result in an undesirable act in the future."
Tuncel is accused of initiating efforts to have Dink murdered.
In response to Dinc, Altay told the prosecutor that when he asked Dinc
what kind of intelligence was being provided by this "problematic"
intelligence team member, Dinc had told Altay that the person
(Tuncel) had been collecting intelligence about ultranationalist
groups operating in Chechnya.
Altay's testimony continued with the news that he had asked Dinc to
bring the intelligence member, Tuncel, to his office, but that Dinc
had refused, saying he would solve the problem himself. "During this
conversation with Dinc, he never told me an attack was being planned
against Dink," Altay told the prosecutor during his testimony.
Three police officers -- Ercan Demir, Ozkan Mumcu and Muhittin Zenit --
who worked under Dinc in the intelligence unit of the Trabzon Police
Department were arrested in January as part of an expanded probe into
Dink's murder. All three police officers had said in their testimonies
that Dinc was the highest authority at the Trabzon Police Department's
intelligence unit, adding that the intelligence reports about Dink
had been prepared by Dinc.
Despite the collection of testimonies pointing the finger a Dinc, the
prosecutor conducting the ongoing murder probe decided not to summon
Dinc to testify. This has triggered suspicion in some quarters as to
whether someone is providing Dinc with immunity against prosecution.
As part of the same investigation, two former heads of the National
Police Department's intelligence unit -- Sabri Uzun and Ramazan Akyurek
-- and a former police chief, Ali Fuat Yılmazer, have testified as
suspects. Other high-profile figures were also called to testify as
suspects, including former Ä°stanbul Police Chief Celalettin Cerrah,
former İstanbul Vice Governor Ergun Gungör and former İstanbul
Police Department Intelligence Unit Chief Ahmet Ä°lhan Guler.
Dink was shot and killed by an ultranationalist teenager. The hitman,
Ogun Samast, and 18 others were brought to trial. Since then, the
lawyers for the Dink family and the co-plaintiffs in the case have
presented evidence indicating that Samast did not act alone. Another
suspect, Yasin Hayal, was given life in prison for inciting Samast
to commit murder.
The retrial started in September 2014, when the Ä°stanbul 5th High
Criminal Court complied with a ruling from the Supreme Court of Appeals
in May 2013 overturning a lower court's ruling that acquitted the
suspects in the Dink murder case of charges of forming a terrorist
organization. This decision paved the way for the trial of public
officials on charges of voluntary manslaughter.
http://en.cihan.com.tr/news/Dink-murder-trial-at-standstill-as-key-police-chief-not-asked-to-testify_5216-CHMTY5NTIxNg==
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress