Huseyin Cahitoglu, the undersecretary to Turkish Cypriot ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel, is facing serious allegations of money laundering during his third court appearance on Wednesday.
- Huseyin Cahitoglu, the undersecretary to Turkish Cypriot ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel, is facing serious allegations of money laundering during his third court appearance on Wednesday.
The charges come on the heels of his earlier arrest on suspicion of bribery. In this latest hearing, the accusations have expanded to include not only money laundering but also bribery, extortion, abuse of office, and illegal possession of firearms.
Cahitoglu was remanded in custody for an additional five days as the legal proceedings continue to unfold. Last week, the court heard claims that he had solicited a bribe of €100,000 for carrying out transactions in one of the north’s public institutions.
During his previous court hearing, police officer Ethem Hoca testified that Turkish Cypriot authorities suspect Cahitoglu of having unlawfully received €220,000 and £35,000 (approximately €40,087) for various dealings in government offices across Nicosia, spanning from 2022 to 2024.
Hoca further detailed that Cahitoglu allegedly attempted to bribe a civil servant with £200,000 (around €229,071) in exchange for signing off on the illegal leasing of land to a third party. Additionally, he was reported to have asked another individual for a £200,000 bribe to facilitate illegal transactions.
As part of the ongoing investigation, a search of Cahitoglu’s residence revealed two nine-millimetre magazines and 50 rounds of ammunition found in his bedroom, raising further concerns about his activities and the nature of the allegations against him.
