A fugitive Turkish businessman who wants to return home to avoid US prosecution is set to appear in an Austrian court on Monday, holding secrets with potential geopolitical ramifications.
Kyiv. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – July 6, 2021 – Entrepreneurs
It is reported that the list of scandals involving businessman Sezgin Baran Korkmaz is long, dating back to the early months of the administration of former US President Donald Trump.
It also houses a range of colorful groups, including Utah polygamists Jacob and Isaiah Kingston, and the owner of a California-based fuel company, named in US documents as Levon Termendezian.
US prosecutors allege that Korkmaz laundered more than $133 million in fraud proceeds through bank accounts he controlled in Turkey and Luxembourg. They accuse him and his accomplices of using the money to buy the Turkish airline Boragit, hotels in Turkey and Switzerland, a yacht named Queen Anne, a villa, and an apartment overlooking the Bosphorus in Istanbul. The indictment, which was revealed last month, charged Korkmaz with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, 10 counts of wire fraud, and one count of obstruction of official proceedings.
His lawyer said on Twitter he was arrested on June 19 when Austria acted on an international arrest warrant and was due to appear in court on Monday.
It is reported that US prosecutors want to try him in the United States. Speaking from prison to a Turkish reporter, Korkmaz said he would prefer to face justice at home, where he is also wanted for money laundering and fraud. The businessman denied the allegations against him.
US officials know that the likelihood that Ankara will hand Korkmaz over if he is returned to Turkey is slim.
A large part of the reason lies in Washington’s refusal to extradite a US-based Turkish cleric whom President Recep Tayyip Erdogan believes plotted a failed coup against him in 2016.
And a protracted legal battle could add to tensions in US-Turkish relations, which began to grieve after Erdogan survived the coup attempt.
The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project found that Korkmaz played a role in Ankara’s efforts to win over Trump in his early years in the White House.
The investigative group also alleged in March that Korkmaz facilitated the 2018 trip of Americans linked to Trump who sought to secure the release of detained American pastor Andrew Brunson from Turkey.
The pastor’s fate became a major issue for Trump, who propelled him to the fore in US-Turkish relations until Bronson’s release at the end of 2018.
Analysts note that the Korkmaz case comes as Erdogan – who faces low numbers of domestic support – is trying to resolve it. Diplomatic problems so that he can secure foreign investment and promote economic growth.
Read Also: Tourists Could Not Fly to Turkey Because of Lack of Enough Seats on the Plane
Source: Ukrgate
