Carpet ride continues
Kristy Kolberg
The case against alleged con man Tarkan Cakmak that has been carrying on for more than two years, continued in the Thembalethu Regional Court last month.
It was however postponed after Cakmak's attorney from Port Elizabeth, Stuart Laubscher, handed Magistrate Pumela Yono a 30-page application for discharge.
This document contains the written heads of argument in support of a discharge application in terms of section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977.
According to this section of the Act a court may, at the close of the prosecution's case, and if it is of the opinion that there is no evidence that the accused committed the offence referred to in the charge sheet or any other offence the accused may be convicted of, return a verdict of not guilty. This procedure is referred to as a discharge at the end of the case for the prosecution.
The case was postponed until 3 September for Yono to peruse and deliver judgement on the application.
Should the defence's application be unsuccessful they must put their case to court and a date for continuation of the trial will be confirmed.
In 2016 Cakmak allegedly conned Gallery 7 in Eden Meander Lifestyle Centre out of four Persian carpets worth more than R300 000. He was arrested by the investigating officer, Jydrean Heathcote, at his own carpet business in Greenacres Shopping Centre in Port Elizabeth shortly afterwards and released on
R10 000 bail in June 2016.
Cakmak allegedly took the rugs on consignment at Gallery 7, saying he first wanted to see if they were suited to his house in Sands Road in Wilderness. According to store manager Lettie Kümm, Cakmak told her that he wanted to purchase rugs for his wedding anniversary and he wanted to surprise his wife.
Gallery 7 employee Hassan Aittaleb allegedly accompanied Cakmak to the said address. When they stopped next to the house, Aittaleb was allegedly told to get out of the car, after which Cakmak made a U-turn, drove off and never returned.