Trabzon’s 2nd Criminal Court of Peace sent the file of the two gendarmerie officers who were on trial for neglect of their duties prior to the murder of Hrant Dink to the High Criminal Court by ruing lack of jurisdiction.

As the witnesses listened before, Lieutenant Hüsamettin Polat, Branch Director of Trabzon Provincial Gendarmerie’s Fight Against Smuggling and Organized Crime Unit, told as well that accused petty officers Okan Şimşek and Veysel Şahin had informed their superiors, among them Colonel Ali Öz, regarding the tip about the planning of the assassination of Hrant Dink.

Cinmen: Öz and others should be brought to the High Criminal Court as well

Polat told in his statement that Şimşek and Şahin had brought up the information Yasin Hayal’s brother in law Coskun İğci had conveyed to them in the daily intelligence meeting held in July 2006.

Ergin Cinmen, one  the lawyers of Dink’s family told bianet that the investigation regarding Colonel Ali Öz and his friends should have been taken to the High Criminal Court and that he wished the prosecution would be held in the same court the murder case was being held.

“Tell İğci not to talk about this around”

According to Polat, Şimşek and Şahin brought up the information that Yasin Hayal, who is on trial as the instigator of the murder, was planning to kill Hrant Dink and he was trying to get hold of a gun to do it. Colonel Öz’s reply to them was “Let us not talk about this here, let us talk later.”

Polat also mentioned that the murder was brought up in the first intelligence meeting held in Trabzon right after Hrant Dink was killed in Istanbul on January 19, 2007, but Öz’s comment was “Tell Coşkun İğci not to talk about this around.”

Polat said, “Colonel Öz came against me when I wanted an investigation about the incident. In fact, he prevented me from participating in the meeting. The murder was known beforehand and they did not like it when I questioned the whole incident. I was warned by the colonel that I was gossiping around. They tried to prevent me from meeting Şimşek and Şahin. They changed the combination of the door to stop me from entering the Intelligence Branch.”

Stating that Şimşek and Şahin should be commended for doing the right thing, he said the responsibility was Öz’s.

“Colonel Ali Öz did not show the necessary sensitivity about the intelligence tip regarding Hrant Dink’s murder. This was not neglect or ignoring the tip. This did not seem normal to me. I got suspicious. It is not intentional, but I cannot say neglect, either. (EÖ/EÜ/TB)