Parliamentary committee votes on ex-ministers’ future
by Daily Sabah with Wires
ISTANBULJan 05, 2015 - 12:00 am GMT+3
by Daily Sabah with Wires
Jan 05, 2015 12:00 am
A 14-member parliamentary committee investigating corruption allegations against four former ministers met on Monday to decide if they should be tried by the Supreme Court of Appeals. When Daily Sabah went to print, the committee was still discussing the allegations.
In May, the inquiry committee began a probe into corruption allegations against former Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan, former Interior Minister Muammer Güler and former Urbanization Minister Erdoğan Bayraktar. The three officials resigned from their posts after an anti-graft probe was launched on Dec.17, 2013, while EU Minister Egemen Bağış was later replaced in a Cabinet reshuffle.
The corruption inquiry committee is comprised of 14 members of Parliament from political parties represented in Parliament, except for the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), whose member withdrew from the committee in protest after a court gag order was imposed.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has nine members on the committee, the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has four and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has one.
A yes vote would send the four former ministers to stand trial at the Constitutional Court for a final decision.
The committee will issue a report on its findings to Parliament by Jan. 9 if it votes to refer the former minister to the Supreme Court. When the committee presents its report to Parliament, lawmakers will vote by secret ballot in the General Assembly.
If deputies approve the report with an absolute majority of 276 votes in the 550-seat Parliament, then the four former ministers will be tried at the Supreme Court.
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