Nine suspects in ‘egg trade’ probe
THE number of suspects in an IVF “egg trade” investigation has risen to nine. Last week it was reported that police raided a private hospital and IVF centre in Lefkoşa based on the allegation that eggs were illegally being taken from women under the age of 20 in exchange for money.
The nine suspects, whose names have not been revealed, include two egg donors, two doctors, two laboratory technicians, an anaesthesiologist, and two nurses.
One of the doctors, “MEK”, was brought to a remand hearing at Lefkoşa District Court on Monday by ambulance from Lefkoşa State Hospital, where they were being treated for a heart condition and high blood pressure. The doctor was accompanied in court by a medical team.
The hospital’s doctors conveyed to the court that the suspect needed an angiography but was hesitant due to his health condition so he had refused to have the procedure.
Police officer Okan Özkoçak testified during the court hearing. He said that suspect “Dr FUT” is a specialist at “M” hospital’s IVF centre, and that suspect Dr MEK is the director of a private IVF clinic in Lefkoşa, and the 19-year-old suspects “BŞ” and “BÖ” are the “individuals who sold their eggs for
money”.
Officer Özkoçak pointed out that as a result of the investigation that started after BŞ’s statement on July 8, it was determined that the suspect and BÖ had sold their eggs for money in November and December 2020.
He stated that police met with the Health Ministry’s Coordination Centre on July 9 and it was discovered that the IVF centres had not provided information about the donors to the relevant department.
Officer Özkoçak noted that on July 13, it was determined that suspect BŞ had registered at the IVF centre in Lefkoşa “under three different names” and that her file was seized as evidence.
Based on a “cyber crimes” warrant obtained from the court, Officer Özkoçak noted that computers and files were seized and the directors of both hospitals were arrested during a raid.
Officer Özkoçak emphasised that, as stated in the relevant law, “reproductive cells” cannot be sold for financial gain and that legal egg donation cannot be done by women who are younger than 20 or older than 35.
He noted that BŞ and BÖ each gave “five to six page” voluntary statements containing confessions and including the names of “many other suspects” and that BŞ had undergone a gynaecological examination at Lefkoşa State Hospital.
The court was told that it was then determined that lab technician “MG” acted as an “intermediary” in the sale of the eggs of BŞ and BÖ, who was then “found and arrested at his residence”.
At a previous court hearing, Officer Özkoçak had said that illegal egg donation is a “serious crime” that carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and/or a fine of up to 500 times the monthly minimum wage. On Thursday eight of the suspects were released on bail pending trial.