Turkish Stock Exchange Scandal: Gokhan Gonul and Arif Ghafoori in Court
The Turkish authorities have arrested 12 individuals, including former football player Gokhan Gonul and the famous magician Arif Ghafoori, in a large-scale security operation following allegations of manipulating the stock market in Istanbul (BIST).
The arrests came after an investigation by the Istanbul public prosecutor's office revealed that the suspects engaged in fictitious price movements by speculating on specific stocks, benefiting from reports by the Capital Markets Board.
The investigation concluded that they committed the crimes of "establishing a criminal organization" and "market fraud based on information."
Following the issuance of detention orders, financial crime teams conducted raids in Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya, Samsun, and Maraş, and arrested the suspects, including Gokhan Gonul and Arif Ghafoori.
The prosecutor's office confirmed that abnormal fluctuations in trading volumes and stock prices caused significant losses for small investors, and it was found that 25 individuals were involved in manipulating the stocks of two companies in Istanbul and other Turkish regions.
Currently, seven suspects are in jail:
Onur Y, Mohammed Y, Emre K, Erol D, Osman W, Savaş H, and Sebahattin A, while authorities are searching for the other accused.
The Capital Markets Board had previously filed a criminal complaint against 16 individuals, including magician Arif Ghafoori, regarding transactions in the shares of "Europa Yatırım Holding," and imposed a ban on trading their shares.
* Who is Gokhan Gonul?
Gokhan Gonul (40 years old) started his career at the Bursa Yolspor Academy, then moved to Gençlerbirliği, before joining Fenerbahçe in 2007 for 1.4 million euros, playing with them for nine years, then transferring to Beşiktaş in 2016, and joining Rizespor in 2021, before retiring at the end of 2023 and transitioning to a coaching position.
* Who is Arif Ghafoori?
Arif Ghafoori (36 years old), a Turkish citizen of Iranian descent, became famous for his magic performances on the show "Turkey's Got Talent" and won the award for "Most Extreme Magician in the World" at the Merlin Awards in 2011.
In 2018, he was bitten by a cobra during a performance at a luxury hotel in Antalya.
