RELATED STORIES Fraud claims extend to Turkish conservative media

The suspects, in indictment prepared by the German prosecutors, were claimed to have strong ties with Turkey' ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Milliyet wrote.  

A legal case was filed against the charity, Deniz Feneri, based in Germany on the charges of making illegal financial transactions to conservative media organs in Turkey, of fraud and money laundering.

Firdevsi Ermis and Mehmet Taskan, arrested for defrauding people through the charity organization, "Deniz Feneri", has claimed that high level Turkish officials, including the head of the country’s media watchdog, Zahid Akman, were involved in the deception.

ENTERING BAN ON AKMAN  
A foreigners’ office in Germany has banned Turkey’s media watchdog, Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK) chairman, Zahid Akman, from entering the country in 2007 for five years following claims he committed a financial crime, Hurriyet daily wrote on Friday.

The German foreigners’ Office of Main-Taunus district in Frankfurt banned Akman in May, 2007; a restriction that would remain in place until 2012, Hurriyet wrote.

Akman rejected on Wednesday claims made by the suspects in the biggest charity scandal in German history. He said the claims, considered as baseless by him, have not been taken seriously by German authorities.

However the entry ban imposed on Akman shows that the German authorities took some legal steps against him, Hurriyet wrote.

The ban was issued after a court ruled Akman to be "objectionable" and in an investigation into the RTUK chairman on Nov. 22, 2006, Hurriyet added.

The foreigners’ office in Maun-Taunus, however, declined to comment.

"We cannot make a statement regarding this issue on the grounds of personal information privacy," the officials told Hurriyet when asked whether a ban on Akman entering the country is in place.