The police investigation, which started after the expulsion of the Australian citizen MDB, wanted for the crimes of “Membership of an Organized Criminal Organization”, “Possession of Illegal Weapons” and “Money Laundering” in Australia, has expanded.
3 people, including 2 lawyers and 1 business person, related to the issue, were brought to court yesterday and were secured.
Police officer Hüseyin Yıldıran gave detailed information within the scope of the investigation.
According to the letter received from the Legal Department on 24 March, the police stated that an Australian citizen named MDB, wanted by Interpol for “Membership of an Organized Crime Organization”, “Possession of Illegal Weapons” and “Money Laundering”, transferred the crime proceeds from the aforementioned crimes into the country.
He explained that he had laundered the income he received from the crime in the TRNC, and that a suspicious transaction had been reported to the office by the bank on March 1 against the subject person, and that an investigation was requested against the subject person and the persons with whom he was related.
In the article from Interpol, police noted that MDB is suspected of using their bank accounts to hide illegal wealth, and that MDB is considered to make wealth, especially through drug imports and drug distribution.
The police stated that the person in question entered the country on January 7, 2021, and it was determined that in July 2021, with the instruction of the suspect E.K, accounts were opened in one of the local banks in the TRNC with a total cash investment of 82 thousand dollars in the name of MDB.
As a result of the investigation, the suspect MDB bought 3 luxury apartments in Kyrenia for 1 million 200 thousand dollars; E.K also enabled them to open accounts in banks and deposit money into these accounts.
The police also stated that the suspect E.K took part as the MDB’s lawyer during the signing of the contract for the lease of a gas station in Kyrenia for 8,000 STG per month for 5 years.
He stated that he provided the remittance of 8,000 Stg without paying £74. Stating that MDB was expelled from the country on July 10, 2022 as part of the investigation, the police stated that after this incident, the suspect E.K attempted to withdraw the money remaining in MDB’s accounts on July 13, but could not take action because it was blocked by the bank.
The police stated that in the examination of the MDB’s bank accounts regarding the issue, it was determined that 1 million 200 thousand dollars were not in their accounts.
Stating that it is believed that the money obtained from the aforementioned crime entered the country illegally and/or was laundered using the accounts of other persons, the police said that extensive investigations are continuing in this direction.
The police stated that on 26 August, suspect E.K was repeatedly asked for documents regarding suspicious transfers from abroad to his accounts by a bank where he had accounts.
Stating that the suspect E.K could not submit any documents in response to the banks’ requests, the police stated that the bank made a suspicious transaction report to the office.
The police said that although the suspect E.K was deemed liable under the “Anti-Money Laundering Law”, he did not report any suspicious transaction to the office against MDB.
On the other hand, the police said that the suspect B.S had witnessed the contract prepared for 3 flats purchased by MDB for $1,200,000, sought for “Drug Sale and Laundering Proceeds of Crime” crimes in Australia.
In addition, the police stated that MDB is the secretary and the suspect B.S is the director in a company that is under investigation for criminal income, and that the largest shareholder of the company is MDB, and the second largest shareholder is the suspect B.S.
The police also said that it was determined that the suspect B.S had made 2x cash deposits of approximately 90,000 STG to the company’s account.
The police said that it was determined that the suspect E.K was present in the hearing held at the Iskele Family Court on March 24, 2022, in order not to submit the bachelor’s certificate obtained from his own country to the Marriage Office and to be exempted from this document in order for the MDB to get married in the TRNC.
The police also said that it was learned that the subject of marriage was a ‘front marriage’, and that an investigation was launched in this direction.
The police noted that E.K did not make any notification on this issue either.
Police stated that the suspect H.K. became the major shareholder and director of MDB on July 15, 2022.
He noted that a large amount of cash has been deposited into a company’s bank accounts since February 2022.
He stated that a few days before a crime revenue investigation was launched against the subject company and a measure was taken against all its assets, it was determined that the suspect H.K had withdrawn 1 million 190 thousand 710 TL, 390 USD, 310 STG and 960 Euros in cash from the accounts of the subject company.
The police stated that in March 2022, it was determined that 150,000 Stg money was sent to MDB from their accounts to a workplace owned by H.K.
The police stated that it was determined that the money in the account of another Australian citizen, who acted with the MDB regarding the issue, was withdrawn by the suspect HK.
Stating that the person in question applied to the flat on 11.11.2021 for a residence permit, the police also stated that in this application, it was determined that the cob of immovable property purchased from the suspect H.K for 40,000 Stg was presented.
The police stated that the marriage witness of MDB, who married a TRNC citizen on April 25, 2022, was the suspect HK.
He said that as part of the investigation, it was learned that the gas station rented on behalf of the MDB in Kyrenia was actively operated by the suspect HK.
The police, in the verbal statement of the suspect H.K, who came to the police on 29 August, stated that he was managing the company in question, that MDB rented the gas station in Girne and that Mark’s gas station in Kyrenia, which they became partners at the request of MDB, was £96,000.
He told that he rented £48,000, sent £48.000 to MDB’s account, and gave the former tenant of the gas station a Kadilac model luxury vehicle, the company in question, to get him out of the gas station.
The police said that MDB paid him in cash for this vehicle, that the sales value of the vehicle was 125,000 STG, that a share of a company located in Iskele was purchased for 1,700,000 STG, that 75% of the purchased shares were paid by the suspect E.K.
The suspect B.S paid 225,000 STG, MDB paid 1,100,000 USD for the share, and MDB bought 2 vehicles from Dubai, whereupon MDB said it was 150,000 pounds and 70,000 Stg in total.
He stated that he had written 4 checks and declared that he had given them.
The police stated, after the Bentley brand and Land Curise brand bulletproof luxury vehicles owned by MDB and in his garage were exported on 10.07.2022, the suspect 3 took the vehicles from Buddle’s garage and transferred the Bentley brand vehicle to his name on 14.07.2022, Land Curise brand bulletproof vehicle, on 29.08.2022.
M/Araçlar Registrar’s Office learned that he was trying to transfer on behalf of another person.
In addition to all these facts, the police said that the suspect B.S, who was selling a vehicle to a company, did not report any suspicious transaction to the office against MDB, even though the car dealerships were deemed liable under the “Anti-Money Laundering Law”.
The police said that on 12.09.2022, the office of the suspect E.K was searched, and an unsigned immovable property purchase contract worth 400,000 Stg issued on behalf of the MDB and an Australian citizen acting with him, and photocopies of the title deed of the subject real estate were detected.
The police stated that as per the search warrant obtained from the Famagusta District Court on the same date, the office of B.S. was searched and nothing illegal was found.
The suspect H.K’s car dealership was searched, MDB’s other documents including the registration document of the Bentley brand vehicle, a set of approval certificate from Az-Bay Tourizm Company, MDB and the other Australian citizen traveling with him.
He said that there were photocopies of passports and residence documents.
Police said that MDB’s Bentley brand and Land Cruise brand bulletproof vehicles were detected in King Auto.
The police stated that the suspects were notified of a written case and that they did not accept the charges, and said that the crimes the suspects were involved in were serious crimes that fell under the jurisdiction of the High Criminal Court.
The police stated that the suspect EK and B.S were lawyers, that the suspect H.K was a TRNC citizen and had a job, and demanded that the suspects be given a guarantee that the court would deem appropriate.
The lawyers of the suspects stated that they objected to the conditions of prohibiting their clients from going abroad and being present to the police in person.
Evaluating the testimony given in her presence, Judge Jale Ergüden banned all three suspects from going abroad and ordered the suspect E.K to deposit 100 thousand TL in cash collateral, and 1 credible TRNC citizen guarantor to sign a surety bond worth 250 thousand TL.
Ergüden said that the suspect B.S deposited 50 thousand TL in cash, 1 credible TRNC citizen guarantor signed a bail bond worth 200 thousand TL, and the accused H.K deposited 150 thousand TL in cash, 1 reliable TRNC citizen guarantor 250 thousand TL. He ordered him to sign a surety bond.