Archbishop Aram Atesyan (Source: Hurriyet)
ISTANBUL (Hurriyet Daily News)—A local court in Istanbul held a new hearing on September 29 in a case opened after a complaint from the leader of Turkey’s Armenian Patriarchate about a man who allegedly identified himself as a Prime Ministry inspector and then requested a bribe of 6,000 Turkish Liras, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.
In July, Aram Atesyan, acting head of the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey, filed the complaint against Kemal Tayfun Nargin, who identified himself as an inspector of the Prime Minister’s General Directorate of National Estates.
At the September 29 hearing at the Istanbul 16th Heavy Penal Court, Nargin denied that he identified himself as an inspector and said he was expelled from the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) in March of 2012.
Nargin admitted that he, along with three other people, visited Atesyan and asked for documents about the historic Sansaryan Han building in Istanbul’s Eminonu district. The building was set to be given to the Armenian community as part of the ongoing return of various properties, and Nargin said he was with the group because the other three—one of whom is a MIT official—did not speak Armenian.
He also said Atesyan handed over the documents but denied that he had taken any money from Atesyan. He also claimed that footage on security cameras of their meeting was deleted immediately after the meeting.
The court ruled to ask the MIT whether Nargin was employed during or before the date of the alleged crime, and postponed the hearing.
Nargin is charged with “aggravated fraud” and faces up to seven years in jail.
Atesyan alleges that the suspect arrived at the patriarch demanding a “gift” to finalize the return of the Sansaryan Han to the Armenian community. Nargin called the patriarch to arrange a meeting and had Atesyan fill out a form bearing the Prime Ministry logo before asking for a “gift” from the religious leader.
Atesyan said he gave him 3,000 liras, but Nargin found this amount inadequate, so Atesyan gave an additional 3,000 liras.
Source: Asbarez
Link: Suspect Tried for ‘Aggravated Fraud’ Against Turkey’s Armenian Patriarchate