Tax worker gets five and a half years for theft of 870,000TL

A TAX worker who stole 870,000TL has been jailed for five and a half years. Öykü Balıkçıoğlu, 43, who was a clerk at the Tax Office treasury, pocketed the cash over a period of a year.

It was determined that Balıkçıoğlu, who had been a public servant for 13 years at the Revenue and Tax Office’s Lefkoşa Branch, had stolen the money “collected from citizens” in return for “2,388 transactions”.

The verdict against Balıkçıoğlu, who accepted 130 charges against her including the crimes of “theft by a public official” and “misconduct by a public official”, was announced last Friday during a hearing held in Lefkoşa Assize Court.

Prosecutor Atilla Enver Aktif and Balıkçıoğlu’s lawyer Burçin Sertbay were present during the verdict hearing held before a three-judge panel composed of Senior Judge Şerife Katip, Judge Umut İnan and chaired by Nüvit Gazi.

Based on her own confession, the facts and evidence presented, Judge Katip read the verdict of the case announcing that they found the defendant guilty.

Judge Katip pointed out that “theft by a public official” is a “serious and grave” crime that carries a prison sentence of up to seven years.

The judge emphasised that the defendant “ignored the law, abused her position and repeatedly committed the crime of theft by a public official in a one-year period without any remorse”.

As a matter of public interest, the judge emphasised that “deterrent and exemplary punishments should be given to those who would resort to such crimes”.

Judge Katip noted that the 870,000TL stolen by Balıkçıoğlu is a “substantial amount” and that the court considered “the fact that the state’s loss has not been compensated” against her.

In light of “all the issues both in favour and against the accused”, Judge Katip announced the unanimous decision to sentence Balıkçıoğlu to five and a half years in prison.