Latif’s Acquittal Upheld, Demir’s Six-Month Sentence Finalised

The acquittal of Mesarya Mayor Ahmet Latif was upheld by the Court of Appeal, while an appeal against the six-month prison sentence imposed on Yeniboğaziçi Mayor Katip Demir was rejected. Thus, the appeal proceedings in the cases involving the two mayors concluded with different outcomes.

Ahmet Latif and three municipal employees had been acquitted after being found not guilty of allegations that they had unlawfully appropriated a water tank belonging to the former dairy factory in Akdoğan and registered it as municipal property.

The appeal filed by the Attorney General’s Office against the acquittal handed down by the Famagusta Assize Court was concluded today. The Court of Appeal ruled that there had been no legal error in the first-instance court’s decision and upheld the acquittal. The ruling is now final for Ahmet Latif and the three other defendants.

DEMIR’S SIX-MONTH PRISON SENTENCE UPHELD

The appeal involving Yeniboğaziçi Mayor Katip Demir, however, had a different outcome. The İskele Assize Court had sentenced Demir to a total of six months in prison for “Forgery of an Official Document” and “Obtaining Credit by Fraudulent Conduct”, while acquitting him of the charge of “Abuse of Office”.

Demir’s appeal against the ruling was rejected by the Court of Appeal. His six-month prison sentence has therefore been upheld and is now final.

With the ruling becoming final, Katip Demir has been deprived of his civil rights and has also lost his eligibility to run for mayor again.