Bolu corruption trial: Defendants deny bribery and irregularities

During the ongoing trial at the Bolu 3rd High Criminal Court involving 19 defendants, individuals accused of bribery and tender fraud have provided their defenses regarding municipal irregularities.

Mustafa Altındal, the former President of the Bolu Greengrocers and Market Traders Chamber, denied allegations of mediating a 100,000 lira bribe. He stated that he merely facilitated meetings between local tradespeople facing licensing issues and municipal officials to assist them, rather than soliciting illegal payments.

In a separate aspect of the case involving BOL TUR AŞ, a subsidiary of the Bolu Municipality, defendants testified regarding discrepancies in Ramadan aid packages. One commission member, H. K., claimed they signed documents for 15,000 aid boxes despite only receiving approximately 12,000, citing fear of job loss as the reason for the false signature.

Other defendants testified that tender documents and price research papers were presented to them pre-filled, claiming they signed them without verifying the accuracy of the figures or the physical delivery of goods.