Üsküdar Mayor Sinem Dedetaş Detained Over TL 361 Million Permit-Bribery Scheme
Updated
Updated · Daily Sabah · Jul 29
Üsküdar Mayor Sinem Dedetaş Detained Over TL 361 Million Permit-Bribery Scheme
3 articles · Updated · Daily Sabah · Jul 29
Summary
Six suspects, including Üsküdar Mayor Sinem Dedetaş, were detained after prosecutors tied the district municipality and subsidiary Kent A.Ş. to an alleged permit-for-payment network.
TL 361 million was allegedly extracted from contractors through sham consultancy contracts worth more than TL 1 million, with payments demanded in exchange for building and occupancy permits.
Prosecutors said Kent A.Ş. had no legal authority over permits but still ran a secret color-coded communication system, while meetings led by its general manager allegedly set payment amounts based on building violations.
An Interior Ministry inspectors’ report said Dedetaş played a decisive role in linking the municipality and Kent A.Ş., while prosecutors accused her of delaying procedures and pressuring contractors in conduct amounting to extortion.
The case adds to a widening series of corruption probes targeting opposition CHP mayors in Turkey, including officials who broke long-held strongholds of President Tayyip Erdogan’s party.