A Turkish prosecutor demanded on Tuesday a prison sentence of more than 2,000 years for Ekrem Imamoglu, the jailed opposition mayor of Istanbul, for allegedly leading a vast corruption network that cost the state billions of lira.
Imamoglu, who is President Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival, has previously denied all the accusations against him, saying they are politically motivated, and his party on Tuesday rejected the new indictment as "nonsense".
In a separate move that also deepened an unprecedented year-long legal crackdown on Erdogan's critics, the Istanbul prosecutor asked a higher court to consider shutting down Imamoglu's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).
Istanbul Chief Prosecutor Akin Gurlek announced the indictment at a press conference, saying it names 402 suspects, including the mayor, and accuses them of forming a criminal organisation, bribery, fraud and bid-rigging.
Gurlek said the network caused 160 billion lira ($3.8 billion) in losses to the Turkish state over a 10-year period.
The more than 4,000-page indictment, seen by Reuters, includes an organisation chart that portrays Imamoglu as the founder and head of the criminal group.
It cites findings by the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), expert analyses, and digital and video evidence, and alleges that several businesspeople were coerced into paying bribes through a secret fund operating within the municipality.
Reuters could not independently verify the allegations beyond the contents of the indictment.
OPPOSITION SAYS LATEST ALLEGATIONS ALSO POLITICALLY DRIVEN
CHP leader Ozgur Ozel said the indictment showed the case against Imamoglu and their party was "totally political" and targeted the Istanbul mayor because he was their designated presidential candidate.
"This is not an indictment but a politically motivated memorandum from the coup plotters," said Ozel, who has repeatedly branded the crackdown on the CHP as a "coup".
Imamoglu's lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In its notification to the Court of Cassation requesting that it consider closing the CHP, the prosecutor's office alleged that the party was financed through illicit funds and that its transactions constituted "prohibited acts".
Ozel said the move sought to allow judicial interference in future elections, Turkish democracy and the CHP, the party of modern Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
Imamoglu has been in jail since March pending trial on corruption charges and received a separate prison sentence in July for insulting and threatening the city’s chief prosecutor, a verdict he is appealing.
The government denies the assertion by Imamoglu and the CHP that the case against him is politically driven and says that Turkey's courts are independent.
Wolfango Piccoli, co-president at consultancy Teneo, said the indictment could have "far-reaching political and institutional implications", including the possible appointment of a government trustee to run the Istanbul municipality.
"Such a move would effectively transfer control of Turkey’s largest and most economically significant city to the central government, depriving the opposition of its most important political patronage tool," he said.
He added that the development could further polarise Turkey’s political environment and deepen concerns about judicial independence.
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