The son-in law of a ruling party lawmaker in Turkey, one of the suspects arrested as part of an investigation into a 30 million lira ($877,000) cryptocurrency scam, was set free the same day he was sent to jail, the Sözcü daily reported.
The incident, which has once again revived a debate about the independence of the Turkish judiciary, concerns Mutlu Akbulut, the son-in-law of Justice and Development Party (AKP) Diyarbakır lawmaker Galip Ensarioğlu.
Akbulut was among a number of gang members detained by teams from the Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Department of the İstanbul Police. Sözcü did not say when exactly the operation was carried out or when the detentions took place. The detainees are reportedly accused of a 30 million lira cryptocurrency fraud and theft through the disruption of information systems.
Akbulut, who was referred to court for arrest following his interrogation by prosecutors, was subsequently arrested and sent to Marmara Prison in İstanbul. However, he was released from pretrial detention several hours later the same day, leading to claims of his father-in-law’s involvement in the judicial process against him.
The lack of any judicial supervision measures, which could include a travel ban or regularly checking in at a police station, for Akbulut has also raised eyebrows given the fact that the alleged offense he committed is on the list of serious crimes in the Turkish Penal Code that threaten public order, people’s safety or rights.
Akbulut married Ensarioğlu’s daughter Dilan in 2021.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his government officials are frequently accused of pressuring Turkish judges and prosecutors to make politically motivated decisions. Turkey was ranked 117th among 142 countries in the rule of law index published by the World Justice Project (WJP) in October 2023.
Meanwhile, Ensarioğlu sparked a backlash on social media earlier this month due to his statements about the murder of 8-year-old Narin Güran in Diyarbakır. Many of the girl’s family members including her mother, uncle and a brother are in pretrial detention in connection to the murder.
Following the discovery of the girl’s body after a days-long search, Ensarioğlu said the members of the Güran family are friends of his and that he wants to avoid things that will further hurt them.
His remarks were interpreted by many as aiming to cover up the family’s alleged role in the murder.