29 Mar 2024
Tuesday 10 April 2018 - 11:07
Story Code : 300254

U.S. judge delays Turkish banker's sentencing in Iran sanctions case

Reuters - A federal judge in Manhattan on Monday delayed by nearly four weeks the sentencing of a Turkish banker convicted in January of helping Iran evade U.S. sanctions.

Mehmet Hakan Atilla, 47, a former deputy general manager at Turkeys state-controlled Halkbank, is now scheduled to learn his punishment on May 7, instead of April 11.

U.S. District Judge Richard Berman cited the number of issues raised by the parties in their (extensive) sentencing submissions as a reason to delay Atillas sentencing.

Prosecutors said Atilla conspired with gold trader Reza Zarrab and others in using fraudulent gold and food transactions to help Iran evade sanctions, which targeted the movement of oil proceeds and U.S. bank note and precious metals transactions.

Zarrab has pleaded guilty, and testified against Atilla for several days as the U.S. governments star witness.

Prosecutors have asked Berman to sentence Atilla to around 20 years in prison, calling the Turkish national a key player in trying to undermine U.S. sanctions, and saying a significant sentence is needed to deter others.

Atillas lawyers have urged leniency, saying the case did not involve economic crimes or a crime of American disloyalty by their client.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has denounced the case, calling it a politically motivated attack on his government.


Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Bill Rigby




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