22.10.2026 18:33
In the case in which 16 defendants are being tried on allegations that a $36 million fraud was carried out by sending paving stones to China instead of copper, the prosecutor requested prison sentences ranging from 3 to 10 years for 10 defendants. In the opinion, while acquittal was requested on charges of organization and forgery, the hearing was adjourned to December 18.
In the case against 16 defendants, including the manager and members of a fraud network alleged to have swindled $36 million by sending paving stones to China instead of copper, the opinion on the merits was announced. In the opinion, it was stated that it was established by the evidence in the file that the defendants obtained an unjust benefit by replacing the copper in the containers with paving stones under the contract for the shipment of copper ingots worth $36 million and by collecting $32 million 400 thousand, corresponding to 90 percent of the export price. The prosecution requested that 10 defendants be separately sentenced to imprisonment from 3 to 10 years for the crime of 'aggravated fraud'.
36 MILLION DOLLAR PAVING STONE SWINDLE
The trial of 16 defendants, including the manager and members of a fraud network alleged to have swindled $36 million by sending paving stones to China instead of copper, continued. Non-detained defendant Çağrı K. and the parties' lawyers attended the hearing at the Bakırköy 7th High Criminal Court. The public prosecutor, who announced the opinion on the merits at the hearing, stated that Bietsan Bakır Pirinç Sanayi Ticaret ve Anonim Şirketi, in 8 separate shipments to China, sent paving stones instead of copper ingots to the buyer company Mercuria in a total of 326 containers. In the opinion, it was stated that it was established by the evidence in the file that the defendants obtained an unjust benefit by replacing the copper in the containers with paving stones under the contract for the shipment of copper ingots worth $36 million and by collecting $32 million 400 thousand, corresponding to 90 percent of the export price.
The prosecution, assessing that the actions did not carry the elements of a chain of command and continuity within the scope of organizational activity, requested that the defendants be separately acquitted of the crimes of 'establishing an organization to commit crime' and 'membership in an organization and aiding an organization'. In the opinion, the acquittal of the defendants from the crime of 'forgery of private documents' was also requested because the originals of the documents alleged to be forged could not be obtained.
REQUEST FOR UP TO 10 YEARS' IMPRISONMENT FOR THE DEFENDANTS
In the opinion on the merits, it was emphasized that it was established that the non-detained defendants Hasan K, Sinan Ç., Başak Y., Bora İ., Çağrı K, Muammer K, Orhan M, Ramazan Ö, Tayfun G. and Vedat U acted in unity of thought and action and defrauded company and cooperative managers. The prosecution requested that 10 defendants be separately sentenced to imprisonment from 3 to 10 years for the crime of 'aggravated fraud'. In the opinion, the acquittal of 16 defendants, primarily the non-detained defendants Başak Y, Bora İ, Çağrı K, Dursun Ç, Ferhat U and Kartal S., from the crime of 'forgery of private documents' was requested separately because the originals of the documents in question could not be obtained. The prosecution requested the separate acquittal of the defendants Kartal S, Dursun Ç, Soner Ç, Saime Ç, Ferhat U, Sedat U and Ufuk Ç from the crime of 'aggravated fraud' on the grounds that there was not sufficient evidence that the crime was committed.
Non-detained defendant Çağrı K, making his defense, said: “I have attended all the courts. I do not accept the accusations attributed to me. I request my acquittal.”
The defendants' lawyers, however, stated that there were witnesses who had not been heard in the case and requested that these persons be heard. The lawyers also argued that the materials could have been changed by officials at sea or by the complainants.
The complainant lawyers, making statements, noted that no investigation had been conducted in China regarding the matter and that there was only a notary report stating that paving stones had been sent instead of copper, and requested that an order for compulsory appearance be issued for the witnesses who had not been heard.
The court panel, announcing its interim decision, ruled that time be granted to the parties to prepare their defense against the announced opinion and that the missing matters be completed, and adjourned the hearing.
Complainant lawyer Müşerref Gözde Z, making a statement after the hearing, said: “The hearing was adjourned to December 18. The court was waiting for the result of a letter rogatory from the Chinese judicial authorities, and accordingly we made certain requests. The court decided to wait for the result of the judicial letter rogatory from the Chinese authority. We are currently still at the stage of hearing the defendants. The case began in 2021, but because a comprehensive file was conducted and many witnesses were heard, the trial and prosecution phase took somewhat long and is still continuing. Although the process of hearing witnesses is still continuing, the prosecution announced its opinion on the merits. It was a bit of a surprise for us. It was an opinion concerning the conviction of some defendants for the crime of 'fraud', primarily the official of the company we complained about, and the acquittal of some defendants for the crime of 'fraud'. The prosecution requested acquittal in terms of the crimes of 'forgery of documents' and 'organization'. At present, the case is not yet at the end of the prosecution phase, nor at the decision stage. The court will wait for the replies to the letters to be written. The hearing of witnesses will be completed. We will continue to follow our case.”
FROM THE INDICTMENT
In the indictment prepared by the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the contract concluded between the company headquartered in Switzerland and the company located in Tekirdağ for the purchase of pure copper was included. It was stated that, under the contract, pure copper would be sent from Tekirdağ to the city of Lianyungang in China in return for a payment of $36 million. In the indictment, it was explained that an investigation was initiated upon the determination that, at the time the shipment reached the company, paving stones with no material value had been sent in the containers instead of pure copper. The prosecution requested that the defendants Hasan Kayacıköse and Soner Çokyiğit, the organization's managers, be sentenced to imprisonment of up to 33 years and 3 months for the crimes of 'establishing an organization to commit crime', 'aggravated fraud' and 'continuous forgery of private documents'. For the other defendants Saime Ç, Dursun Ç, Muammer K, Orhan M, Ferhat U, Başak Y, Sinan Ç, Ufuk Ç, Tayfun G, Ramazan Ö and Vedat U, imprisonment of up to 29 years and 3 months was requested separately for the crimes of 'membership in an organization', 'aggravated fraud' and 'continuous forgery of private documents'. For the defendants Sedat U, Çağrı K and Bora İ., imprisonment at the same rate was requested for the crimes of 'aiding an organization without being a member', 'aggravated fraud' and 'continuous forgery of private documents'.