Jailed Gülenist police chief now charged for the murder of Armenian journalist Hrant Dink

Jailed Gülenist officer Ali Fuat Yılmazer, who is accused of taking part in a plot to kill Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink has been arrested late Thursday.

Yılmazer, who previously served as the deputy director of Istanbul's police intelligence department gave testimony before a judge on duty at Istanbul 5th Criminal Court. He was arrested following the testimony and transferred to prison.

Testifying on Dec. 5, Samast said Ali Fuat Yılmazer, deputy director of Istanbul's police intelligence department, and Ramazan Akyürek, Turkish National Police's intelligence department director at the time of the murder, knew about the plot to murder Dink and backed him and Yasin Hayal who masterminded the plot.

Yılmazer had already been imprisoned for nine months under the scope of another case involving the crimes committed by the Gülen Movement.

He is accused of covering up their involvement in the murder perpetrated by 17-year-old Ogün Samast. The teen was convicted for shooting and killing Dink in Istanbul and had previously testified to the prosecutor investigating the murder. He said top police chiefs were aware of the murder plot but did not do anything; on the contrary, they encouraged him.

Prosecutor Gökalp Kökçü the intelligence unit's head in Samast's hometown of Trabzon in northern Turkey, on charges of assisting manslaughter by neglecting intelligence concerning the murder, despite having a responsibility to prevent it. He was released pending trial by the court, which banned him from traveling abroad.

Testifying on Dec. 5, Samast said Ali Fuat Yılmazer, deputy director of Istanbul's police intelligence department, and Ramazan Akyürek, Turkish National Police's intelligence department director at the time of the murder, knew about the plot to murder Dink and backed him and Yasin Hayal who masterminded the plot.

The prosecutor's office in Istanbul previously questioned top police intelligence officials including Sabri Uzun, Akyürek and Yılmazer. Moreover, the trio is officially referred to as "suspects" in the prosecutor's case.