Three More Witnesses Testified in KSTU Investigation

In connection with the case, KSTU's Secretary-General and shareholder Serdal Gündüz, along with the university's International Office Manager Amir Shakerifard, who are both being tried in custody, appeared before the court for the continued preliminary investigation.

A total of 10 witnesses have now been heard, including three witnesses who testified today regarding student registrations, payment processes, and the computer programs used within the university.

Witness Testimonies

The first witness, M.A., who worked at the International Office from the summer of 2022 until March 2024, explained that they used two programs called “Monday” and “Kion.” While “Kion” was used university-wide, “Monday,” which tracked agency names responsible for student recruitment, was specific to the International Office. M.A. further noted that in February 2024, following an audit from Nişantaşı University, they were informed by the office manager that the “Monday” program was illegitimate and instructed to delete it and emails related to it.

The second witness, S.R., who began working as an accountant at KSTU in early 2022, confirmed handling payment entries from the “Monday” system into the official “Logo” accounting software. She also mentioned that after the Nişantaşı University audit, they were told to stop using “Monday” without asking questions about it.

The final witness, Z.E., who worked as an accounting officer from August 2017 to September 2023, provided insights into the payment processes, noting that commission payments to agencies were authorized by the university’s director, based on information received from Shakerifard.

Charges and Court Proceedings

The defendants face 130 charges, including "Obtaining Money by Fraud," "Fraudulent Document Creation and Circulation," "Accounting Fraud," and "Money Laundering." The hearing was adjourned by Judge Gülay Süleymanoğlu Uğur to continue on Thursday, September 26.

In addition, Serdal Gündüz is also being tried at the Nicosia Heavy Penal Court for a separate case involving his assistant Berk Özbek.