Governorship Intervenes With The Murder Investigation Concerning Police Shooting

Antalya’s vice governor sends a circular to the prosecutor asking for information about the investigation regarding Çağdaş Gemik’s murder. Gemik's lawyer says the governorship attempts to influence the due process and thus commits crime.

Antalya - BİA News Center
04 December 2008, Thursday

“Police officer Mehmet Ergin used his weapon to warn and in the process Çağdaş Gemik was shot from his neck and lost his life while he was running away from the scene on his motorcycle.”

“I would like to be informed of the investigation regarding the incident.”

These sentences are from the document sent “on behalf of the Antalya Governorship” from Antalya’s Vice Governor Mehmet Seyman to the Prosecutor’s Office. Moreover, sent in the name of the Provincial  Committee for the Human Rights, the document includes the word “secret,” hand written, both in the beginning and at the end.

“The Governorship is committing a crime”

Münip Ermiş, lawyer of murdered Çağdaş Gemik’s family, said the Governorship was trying to protect the police officer who shot Gemik and committing a crime by sending such a document.

Ermiş also added that the Presidency of the Human Rights Committee was violating the secrecy of the investigation by asking information about the case and moreover committing the crime of attempting to influence the due process by directing the prosecutor.

“They are making the Human Rights an accomplice to their crime”

Ermiş also indicated that by using the name of the Human Rights Committee, they were making this institution an accomplice to their crime. Reporting the incident to the Prime Ministry’s Human Rights Presidency, he said they were going to file a criminal report against the Governorship.

“Gemik family did not apply to the committee”

The Governorship based its document on the document written by the Directorship of the Special Bureau of the Antalya Governorship on October 31. In summary, the Governorship used a document prepared by one of its units and sent this to the Prosecutor’s Office in the name of the Human Rights Committee.

Ermiş also emphasized that the Gemik family did not apply to the Provincial Human Rights Committee.

Police officer Ergin was arrested for voluntary manslaughter. (TK/TB) 

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