ANKARA, March 6 (A.A) - Ankara High Criminal Court no: 9 sentenced Necmettin Erbakan, the former leader of the banned Welfare Party (RP), to 2 years and 4 months in prison in the case of missing trillions on Wednesday.
Osman Yurtoglu, the provincial chairman of the banned RP in central province of Kirikkale, lawyers of suspects and intervenor lawyers were in attendance at today's hearing.
Yurtoglu and lawyers of other suspects pleaded not quilty.
Later, the court delegation announced its verdict.
Erbakan was sentenced to 2 years in prison in accordance with Article 345 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) on charges of falsifying documents of his banned RP.
Erbakan was accused of falsifying party records to hide millions of dollars of cash reserves that were ordered to be seized after RP was banned in 1998.
The verdict said, ''imprisoment term of Erbakan was increased by one sixth to 2 years and 4 months in accordance with Article 80 of the TCK because a total of 139 false document were prepared with the same intention.''
The court delegation sentenced 19 suspects to 1 year and 3 months, and 50 suspects to 1 year in prison.
Two suspects were sentenced to 10 months in prison, but their punishments were suspended.
The court delegation decided to acquit Sevket Kazan, Ahmet Tekdal, Abdurrahim Bezci, Rifat Ozkan and Mehmet Nil Hidir due to lack of evidence.
The court delegation also decided to denounce Mehmet Zeki Celik and Ali Guner, who have still been serving as deputies, to the Ankara Chief Prosecutor's Office to lift their political immunity.
ERBAKAN WILL NOT BE A MEMBER OF A POLITICAL PARTY IF SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS APPROVES ERBAKAN'S SENTENCE
Necmettin Erbakan, can not be the member of a political party under the Political Parties Law, if Supreme Court of Appeals approves his two year and four months imprisonment terms. Under the Parliamentarians Election Law, Erbakan can not be elected as parliamentarian.
Under Article 11 of the Parliamentarian Election Law, which defines those who can not be elected as parliamentarian, regulates that those who were sentenced on charges of ''embezzelment, bribery, corruption, theft, falsification, abuse of religion, and fraudulent bankruptcy'' can not be elected as parliamentarians even if they are pardoned.
According to the Political Parties Law, Erbakan can not be the member of a political party.
Article 11 of the Political Parties Law says those who were sentenced on charges of disgraceful crimes like, ''embezzelment, bribery, corruption, theft, falsification, abuse of religion, and fraudulent bankruptcy'' can not be the member of a political party.
Constitutional Court earlier brought five years political ban to Erbakan on grounds that he caused RP to be closed with his statements and actions. Ban on Erbakan will end on February 22, 2003.
ERBAKAN'S LAWYERS SAY THEY WILL APPEAL
Lawyers of the outlawed Welfare Party (RP) leader Necmettin Erbakan said Wednesday that they would appeal the decision of Ankara Penalty Court which sentenced Erbakan to two years and four months in prison.
Erbakan's lawyers Mehmet Ener and Yasar Gurkan, said in a written statement that the case was against the Constitution's Political Parties Law and basic principles of law.
''The accounts of a political party constitute the basics of this case. The right to examine a political party's accounts belongs to the Constitutional Court. We are surprised to see this court decision although Erbakan's signature is not present on any of the documents and although no criminal investigation was done to check if these documents were phoney or not. However, the Turkish Republic is a state of law and we believe that the Supreme Court would examine and cancel this decision,'' Erbakan's lawyers said.