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Felice Casson, a prominent Italian prosecutor who prosecuted members of Operation Gladio, a NATO stay-behind paramilitary force left over from the Cold War in Italy, warned against government’s intervention in media and judiciary in Turkey, which poses a great threat for democracy.
In an exclusive interview with Cihan news agency, Casson commented on stance of Turkish government following the graft scandal, which erupted on Dec.17 with the detention of businessmen close to Erdoğan and three ministers' sons. He stated that a similar situation took place in Italy when Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi turned media, police and judiciary into target rather than perpetrators involved in graft scandal as it happened in Turkey.
Just after the graft investigation, a new judicial regulation was introduced with an overnight change, which suggests that police chiefs are obliged to notify civil administrative chiefs who have no judicial position about investigations ordered by prosecutors. Commenting on the change, Casson said judicial police is dependent on judiciary and even the prime minister has no right to intervene them in Italy adding that a contrary situation violates independence of an investigation.
Casson also criticized a new amendment regulating pre-trial detention periods. The amendment requires the release of suspects who have served five years without a final verdict which paved way to release of a number of convicted individuals in Ergenekon case, a clandestine network made up of former and active military officers, journalists, academics, politicians, mafia leaders and other professional segments allegedly attempting to overthrow the government. Following Ergenekon case closely, Casson stated that such a step was also taken in Italy and it is called as an “interest system”.
“Granting such a right to the convicted individuals is not rational institutionally. We call this “Ad Personam” in Italy which means that enacting a law for the benefit of a specific person.
Casson went on to comment on appointment of new prosecutors on the graft investigation. In the beginning, İstanbul Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor Zekeriya Öz was at the helm of the investigation. The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said in a written statement that the new prosecutors were appointed to the investigation to assist the first prosecutor on Dec. 18. Casson said a prosecutor cannot be appointed unless the investigation he conducts is over in a democratic system. “Appointment of the judges by the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) not by the Ministry of Justice is a guarantee to ensure independence of judiciary,” said Casson.
SHOT LIST
Sunday, April 20, 2014 SOURCE: CIHAN
Explanation by Felice Casson
Duration: 03: 59
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