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LAWYER ASKS WHY TESTIMONY OF POLICE INTEL CHIEF NOT TAKEN IN DINK MURDER TRIAL
Today's Zaman, Turkey
Feb 23 2015
February 23, 2015, Monday/ 17:55:21/
by FARUK ALAN / ISTANBUL
A lawyer representing a police officer who was detained in January in
an ongoing probe into the 2007 murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist
Hrant Dink has questioned why the current head of the National Police
Department's intelligence unit has not been summoned to testify,
despite being the top official responsible for the failure to prevent
the murder from taking place.
As the investigation into Dink's murder deepens, eyes are now on
the chief of the National Police Department's intelligence unit,
Engin Dinc, who headed the intelligence unit in Trabzon at the time
of the killing, after several people working under him were arrested
on charges of involvement in the murder.
Three police officers who worked under Dinc in the intelligence unit
of the Trabzon Police Department were arrested in January as part of
an expanded probe into Dink's murder. Dinc has since been promoted and
is now the chief of the National Police Department's intelligence unit.
Speaking with Today's Zaman, Zafer Kiremitci -- the lawyer of Ozkan
Mumcu, one of the three officers arrested in January -- said it was
Dinc who warned the Ä°stanbul Police Department's intelligence unit
chief, Ä°lhan Guler, about Dink's possible assassination in a report.
"His [Dinc's] signature is on the intelligence report. Where is Engin
Dinc, who appointed Erhan Tuncel [another suspect in the murder trial]
as an informant for the Trabzon Police Department, although he should
not have done this?" Kiremitci said.
Tuncel is accused of initiating efforts to have Dink murdered.
Lawyer Kiremitci also asked: "Is the fact that the testimony of Engin
Dinc has not been taken yet a result of a failure of the law or a
result of a relationship based on self-interest?"
Reiterating that Mumcu was serving his compulsory military service at
the time of Dink's murder, Kiremitci said it is highly questionable
that Mumcu was arrested when he was not even on duty during the murder,
while Dinc has not yet been summoned to testify in the trial, although
he is the person who signed an intelligence note in which he warns
about a possible Dink murder.
The three police officials -- Ercan Demir, Ozkan Mumcu and Muhittin
Zenit -- said in their testimonies that Dinc was the highest authority
at the Trabzon Police Department's intelligence unit.
According to a report in the Taraf daily late in January, Demir,
in his testimony, said, "The authority to inform provincial police
departments about suspects or conduct operations against suspects
belonged to Engin [Dinc]."
Zenit and Trabzon Police Department Deputy Commissioner Mumcu were
arrested on Jan. 13 on charges of negligence and misconduct in Dink's
murder. An Ä°stanbul court arrested former Cizre Police Chief Ercan
Demir, who turned himself in on Monday after a warrant for his
detention was issued on Jan. 16.
Dink was shot and killed by an ultranationalist teenager. The hitman,
Ogun Samast, and 18 others were brought to trial. Since then,
the lawyers for the Dink family and co-plaintiffs in the case have
presented evidence indicating that Samast did not act alone. Another
suspect, Yasin Hayal, was given life in prison for inciting Samast
to commit murder.
http://www.todayszaman.com/national_lawyer-asks-why-testimony-of-police-intel-chief-not-taken-in-dink-murder-trial_373423.html
From: A. Papazian
Today's Zaman, Turkey
Feb 23 2015
February 23, 2015, Monday/ 17:55:21/
by FARUK ALAN / ISTANBUL
A lawyer representing a police officer who was detained in January in
an ongoing probe into the 2007 murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist
Hrant Dink has questioned why the current head of the National Police
Department's intelligence unit has not been summoned to testify,
despite being the top official responsible for the failure to prevent
the murder from taking place.
As the investigation into Dink's murder deepens, eyes are now on
the chief of the National Police Department's intelligence unit,
Engin Dinc, who headed the intelligence unit in Trabzon at the time
of the killing, after several people working under him were arrested
on charges of involvement in the murder.
Three police officers who worked under Dinc in the intelligence unit
of the Trabzon Police Department were arrested in January as part of
an expanded probe into Dink's murder. Dinc has since been promoted and
is now the chief of the National Police Department's intelligence unit.
Speaking with Today's Zaman, Zafer Kiremitci -- the lawyer of Ozkan
Mumcu, one of the three officers arrested in January -- said it was
Dinc who warned the Ä°stanbul Police Department's intelligence unit
chief, Ä°lhan Guler, about Dink's possible assassination in a report.
"His [Dinc's] signature is on the intelligence report. Where is Engin
Dinc, who appointed Erhan Tuncel [another suspect in the murder trial]
as an informant for the Trabzon Police Department, although he should
not have done this?" Kiremitci said.
Tuncel is accused of initiating efforts to have Dink murdered.
Lawyer Kiremitci also asked: "Is the fact that the testimony of Engin
Dinc has not been taken yet a result of a failure of the law or a
result of a relationship based on self-interest?"
Reiterating that Mumcu was serving his compulsory military service at
the time of Dink's murder, Kiremitci said it is highly questionable
that Mumcu was arrested when he was not even on duty during the murder,
while Dinc has not yet been summoned to testify in the trial, although
he is the person who signed an intelligence note in which he warns
about a possible Dink murder.
The three police officials -- Ercan Demir, Ozkan Mumcu and Muhittin
Zenit -- said in their testimonies that Dinc was the highest authority
at the Trabzon Police Department's intelligence unit.
According to a report in the Taraf daily late in January, Demir,
in his testimony, said, "The authority to inform provincial police
departments about suspects or conduct operations against suspects
belonged to Engin [Dinc]."
Zenit and Trabzon Police Department Deputy Commissioner Mumcu were
arrested on Jan. 13 on charges of negligence and misconduct in Dink's
murder. An Ä°stanbul court arrested former Cizre Police Chief Ercan
Demir, who turned himself in on Monday after a warrant for his
detention was issued on Jan. 16.
Dink was shot and killed by an ultranationalist teenager. The hitman,
Ogun Samast, and 18 others were brought to trial. Since then,
the lawyers for the Dink family and co-plaintiffs in the case have
presented evidence indicating that Samast did not act alone. Another
suspect, Yasin Hayal, was given life in prison for inciting Samast
to commit murder.
http://www.todayszaman.com/national_lawyer-asks-why-testimony-of-police-intel-chief-not-taken-in-dink-murder-trial_373423.html
From: A. Papazian