ANKARA (AA) - The High Tribunal adjourned on Wednesday the trial of Cumhur Ersumer and Zeki Cakan, two former energy & natural resources ministers, till February 3rd, 2005.
Mustafa Bumin, the Chairman of the High Tribunal, said that lawyers of Ersumer and Cakan were given extra time to prepare their defense against the demands of Nuri Ok, the Supreme Court of Appeals Chief Prosecutor.
Ok demanded that original texts of some tender contracts related with the trial of these two former energy ministers should be brought to the court. The chief prosecutor also demanded to listen about 50 persons, who worked in the Energy & Natural Resources Ministry in the days when the mentioned corruption was made, as witnesses.
Hilmi Guler, the current Energy & Natural Resources Minister; prominent businessmen Korkmaz Yigit and Sarik Tara, and journalist Nazli Ilicak are among the personalities Ok wanted to listen as a witness.
Bumin added that they would decide on the demands of the chief prosecutor in the upcoming hearing.
Ersumer and Cakan were accused of abusing their powers. They are also accused of alleged irregularities and abusing powers by pursuing wrong and illegal energy policies that caused the state to lose money. They could face imprisonment if convicted.
(BRC-A֩
2004-12-22