’Lawyers the cause of leaks’
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Şubat 19, 2009 00:00
ANKARA - Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Şahin has argued that it is the lawyers party to the Ergenekon case who seem to be responsible for most of the press leaks that have disclosed confidential information.
"An interrogation tape of a certain figure in Canada (referring to Ergenekon informer Tuncay Güney) was aired on several TV stations at the same time. We later learned that the 13th High Criminal Court gave the tape to lawyers. The lawyers did not lose any time leaking the tapes to the press," Şahin said.
It was again a lawyer who passed the minutes from another interrogation to the press, the minister also said, speaking about İbrahim Şahin's testimony that appeared in daily Radikal.
"This means that lawyers are more likely to be the cause of the leaks. What does Mr. Özok, the Bar Union President do about these lawyers, who in fact are committing a crime? What does the Istanbul Bar do about it? That would be good to know," he said. "The bar associations should criticize lawyers instead of accusing prosecutors for violation of a trial’s secrecy," he said. The Justice Ministry had begun an inquiry to find out the source of documents and video leaked to the press in the Ergenekon trial, on which there is a court decision of secrecy. "I frequently ask about the investigation into the penal affairs director. I have not receive the results yet," Şahin noted.
Canadian authorities did not respond to the Justice Ministry’s demand to interrogate Tuncay Güney, the Ergenekon informer who appeared live on TV and accused dozens of people in the Ergenekon affair in recent weeks. "If the prosecutors ask him to be brought to Turkey, we will do our part just the same," Şahin said.
An ex- Justice and Development Party, or AKP, deputy, Tuhran Çömez, hunted by the police in the Ergenekon case, should come back to Turkey from Britain if he is "sure of his innocence," he said. Çömez had sought a residence permit for Britain. "I do not approve that he asked for a residence permit in another name," he said.
It was again a lawyer who passed the minutes from another interrogation to the press, the minister also said, speaking about İbrahim Şahin's testimony that appeared in daily Radikal.
"This means that lawyers are more likely to be the cause of the leaks. What does Mr. Özok, the Bar Union President do about these lawyers, who in fact are committing a crime? What does the Istanbul Bar do about it? That would be good to know," he said. "The bar associations should criticize lawyers instead of accusing prosecutors for violation of a trial’s secrecy," he said. The Justice Ministry had begun an inquiry to find out the source of documents and video leaked to the press in the Ergenekon trial, on which there is a court decision of secrecy. "I frequently ask about the investigation into the penal affairs director. I have not receive the results yet," Şahin noted.
Canadian authorities did not respond to the Justice Ministry’s demand to interrogate Tuncay Güney, the Ergenekon informer who appeared live on TV and accused dozens of people in the Ergenekon affair in recent weeks. "If the prosecutors ask him to be brought to Turkey, we will do our part just the same," Şahin said.
An ex- Justice and Development Party, or AKP, deputy, Tuhran Çömez, hunted by the police in the Ergenekon case, should come back to Turkey from Britain if he is "sure of his innocence," he said. Çömez had sought a residence permit for Britain. "I do not approve that he asked for a residence permit in another name," he said.