The investigation is ongoing, and officials are focusing on the possibility that Özer committed suicide. According to Turkish media, his body was discovered by prison guards during a morning check.
Turkish prosecutors have ordered a full investigation, including questioning prison staff and analyzing security cameras. Özer’s body was sent to the Istanbul Institute of Forensic Medicine for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death, reports Index.hr.
Özer was arrested in Albania on August 30, 2022 after a sensational escape that shocked Turkey. An international warrant was issued for him for defrauding hundreds of thousands of investors through Thodex.
Özer crossed the border illegally and lived in Elbasan for several months, where he tried to hide under a false identity. He was arrested on one of the beaches in the south of the country, after a joint operation by the Albanian police and the Turkish authorities.
The indictment stated that he defrauded around 400 people, misappropriating over $2 billion in funds. His case became one of the biggest financial scandals in Turkish history, rocking the cryptocurrency market and prompting Turkish authorities to tighten regulations on digital commerce.
After his extradition to Turkey, Özer was sentenced to 11,196 years in prison for organized fraud, money laundering and running a criminal organization. Although he denied the charges, claiming that the crypto exchange’s downfall was the result of cyberattacks and not fraud, the court found him guilty on all counts.
His death has raised many questions in the Turkish public, with some calling for an independent investigation to determine whether it was suicide or the deliberate removal of Özer, due to the knowledge he may have had of the financial network operating through Thodex.
(Vijesti.ba)
