President of Construction Contractors Association Arrested in TRNC

The Department for Combating Financial Crimes in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has arrested Jafer Gürkafer, the president of the Turkish Cypriot Construction Contractors Association (KTIMB), along with two other employees of the association. All three individuals are being held for two days as part of the investigation.

According to the police press office, the detainees are suspected of fraud, extortion, and document forgery.

During the court session, a police officer explained that the arrests were made as part of an investigation into foreign workers from third-world countries. These workers were brought into the country under a quota and preliminary permit system on March 28, 2024.

The police noted that in 2007, a protocol was signed between the Ministry of Labor and KTIMB to facilitate the procedures for importing workers from abroad. Under this protocol, the association received applications and forwarded them to the ministry. The investigation alleges that between 2020 and 2023, Jafer Gürkafer received €135,800 from a business partner to expedite or cancel work permits for foreign workers.

The whereabouts of some individuals who arrived in the TRNC for employment through KTIMB remain unknown.

The police also reported that a search conducted at KTIMB the previous day yielded no evidence on the suspects' computers, as all data had been deleted on June 28, 2024.

Following the review of the evidence, the judge has ordered the suspects to be detained for two days for further investigation.