FORMER POLICE OFFICIAL SENT TO PRISON OVER DINK MURDER

Anadolu Agency, Turkey
Feb 27 2015

27 February 2015 13:26 (Last updated 27 February 2015 22:03)

Akyurek was charged with negligence on the job at the time of the
Turkish-Armenian journalist’s murder.

ISTANBUL

Former head of Turkey’s police intelligence, Ramazan Akyurek, has
been sent to prison late Friday over the murder of Turkish-Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink, according to police sources.

Akyurek had been in police detention since Thursday on charges of
negligence on the job at the time of Dink’s murder.

Earlier Friday, the former intelligence chief was taken to Istanbul’s
Caglayan court for questioning after his lawyer said his client would
not answer questions at the Ankara police department.

The Istanbul public prosecutor’s office questioned Akyurek for four
hours at the court and charged him of “causing death by negligent
behavior,” “forgery of official documents,” and “malfeasance.” The
prosecutor’s office urged the court to order his arrest.

Dink was one of the founders of the bilingual Turkish-Armenian weekly
Agos. He was assassinated outside his office in Istanbul on Jan. 19,
2007.

His murderer, Ogun Samast, who was 17 years old at the time, was
tried and convicted in 2011.