The once-celebrated crypto mogul turned convicted fraudster, Faruk Fatih Ozer, the founder of the collapsed Turkey-based crypto exchange Thodex, has secured a partial legal victory.

On Thursday, the Istanbul 22nd Regional Court of Justice ruled to maintain Ozer’s detention on fraud charges. But it dropped allegations of organized crime, according to Ozer’s attorney, Sevgi Eraslan’s press statement.

Ozer, who was sentenced to 11,196 years in prison in September 2023 for allegedly defrauding over 400,000 investors out of $2 billion, remains behind bars despite the partial ruling in his favor.

While Ozer remains in prison, his legal team vows to push for further leniency. “We will follow all legal channels to ensure a fair trial process,” the statement reads.

Erasalan described the court’s decision as a demonstration of the judicial process’s evolving nature, noting each criminal charge must be evaluated “independently” rather than grouped together.

“The presumption of innocence is one of the cornerstones of a democratic state governed by the rule of law,” the statement says. “No person can be declared guilty before the judicial process reaches a final decision.”

Go to Source to See Full Article
Author: Vismaya V