While millions of poor people diligently pay their taxes, unfortunately, the number of individuals who evade taxes and commit fraud with "bogus" invoices has incredibly increased.

I have accessed a criminal complaint and its documents submitted to the prosecutor's office. According to the allegations, companies established under the names of third parties are issuing bogus invoices in the market.

Looking at the invoices, it's unbelievable. A happiness chain or Ponzi scheme seems to have been established around the DEVA (The Democracy and Progress) Party organization. The file is incredibly complicated. Let me explain step by step...

The complainants are Ahmet Teke, Mehmet Kaya Bayar, and Bayram Şen. The accused are Mehmet Turan Veziroğlu, Mehmet Aydın, and Burak Ustaoğlu.

Veziroğlu, a party executive who attends party events in a vehicle with flashing lights and pins a diamond badge on Ali Babacan, has photos with high-level executives at many party events. The fact that the events revolve around party officials also brings politics into the matter.

According to the allegations in the petition submitted to the prosecutor's office, DEVA Party Küçükçekmece Deputy District Chairman Veziroğlu claims to be involved in plastic imports and making high profits, and he takes investment money from businessmen Teke, Bayar, Şen. Then, as frequently seen in similar methods, he makes payments under the guise of regular profit sharing for 4-5 months. The pattern breaks, and payments cease. When the investors try to reach Veziroğlu, he allegedly tries to extend the time with various excuses. First, he calls one of his creditors claiming the police have taken him. Then, this person, along with Veziroğlu's wife, goes to the police station but cannot find him. Veziroğlu's wife files a missing person report at the police station. Veziroğlu sends a voice recording to his creditors via WhatsApp, saying the police have taken him and he is at the station.

Days later, Ustaoğlu, who is claimed to be Babacan's advisor, calls Teke, one of the complainants, on July 27, 2022, and says, "There's a big MASAK (Financial Crimes Investigation Board) operation, you're on the list too, don't probe too much, the Mehmet's are in MASAK's hands, they will take you too."

11 SHELL COMPANIES

While these developments were unfolding, Veziroğlu made a statement on his social media account in July 2022, claiming he was detained by MASAK for embezzling and escaping with 250 million TL under the pretext of fraud, but said it was slander. In his statement, he tagged Süleyman Soylu and the Ministry of the Interior.

According to Teke's complaint, 11 shell companies were established, and "bogus" invoices were issued. Teke claims he was defrauded of 1.2 million dollars.

Another complainant is Bayar. In his petition, he states he met Veziroğlu at the opening of the DEVA Büyükçekmece party organization. Bayar claims he was defrauded of 440 thousand dollars. The other complainant is Şen, who met Veziroğlu in prison. They were incarcerated together. Veziroğlu was in prison for violating the tax procedure law. He purchased 16 apartments from Şen, paying 1 million 150 thousand TL in cash and the rest with checks. However, when the checks came due, he learned they were "potatoes," checks sold individually in the market and not honored.

When trying to contact Veziroğlu, he claimed he had been shot and was in the hospital undergoing surgery. Şen investigated and found out that Veziroğlu had undergone surgery to remove excess fat. Şen claims he was defrauded of 3 million TL.

I asked DEVA party executive Idris Şahin about these allegations. He said they were aware of the allegations and had knowledge of them. He mentioned that Ustaoğlu is not Babacan's advisor but an agency official, and his presence in the photos was due to his role as a district executive. Şahin declared that DEVA has nothing to do with the issue. I also spoke with Veziroğlu, the target of the allegations. He explained that he had the diamond badge made in the Grand Bazaar and that the vehicle with flashing lights he used was rented. He admitted that his statement about "MASAK investigating him" was false and said he made it up to escape from loan sharks. He stated that he didn't know the companies mentioned in the complaint except for one, and claimed that he was the actual victim, alleging that Teke is affiliated with FETÖ. He accused loan sharks of ruining his business life and orchestrating this to extract high interest. He added that he would seek justice in court.

I will follow the case, but the situation with DEVA Party's Veziroğlu is not as simple as he claims. The documents and allegations submitted to the prosecutor's office, including voice recordings and messages, are substantiated.