Turkish authorities have issued 47 arrest warrants for municipal officials and staff across Istanbul linked to a corruption case that has seen the city’s mayor, Ekrem imamoğlu, ousted and jailed, media reported Saturday.
The warrants were based on four separate corruption investigations centered on Istanbul and target mayors of districts like Büyükçekmece, Avcılar and Gaziosmanpaşa.
Three of the suspects are imprisoned and three others are abroad, authorities said.
They confirmed 32 of the suspects have been detained so far while police continue pursuing nine others still at large.
The detentions are part of the investigation into the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and Imamoğlu.
Imamoğlu, a popular figure in the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), was arrested in March along with dozens of municipality employees and businesspeople on charges of corruption.
The politician is accused of running a criminal organization that profited from rigged tenders and rampant bribery in exchange for building and zoning permits and awarding tenders.
The CHP has launched rallies and incited riots after Imamoğlu’s arrest. It claims that Imamoğlu’s arrest is politically motivated, as the party had nominated him for the next presidential election. However, the government argues that the CHP’s claim and pro-Imamoğlu rallies are simply an attempt to cover up the mayor’s alleged wrongdoings, which range from rigging public tenders to taking bribes.
Imamoğlu has denied all allegations in his interrogation, but prosecutors point out a wide array of evidence, from financial irregularities to bribes and money laundering activities. Those include reports from MASAK, technical surveillance data and testimonies from dozens of witnesses.
