provides some advice for the new 'Meşrutiyet'
(constitutional) government's committee members
investigating corruption at the Ottoman mint.//
The investigation thus far into the abovementioned embezzlement tricks
certainly gives an indication of their severity, but the details have not
yet been exposed. The second phase of the investigation by the current
'Meşrutiyet' (constitutional) government that will provide a description
of the details, showing the amount of the diversions and the accounts
themselves, and which will expose the activities and methods used,
must await the conclusion of the 5th committee now examining the
situation at the mint.
Nevertheless, we feel the need to call to the attention of the members
of the Finance Ministry's investigating committee, which will publish
the second-phase report, the following information:
First: Medals: In recent months, Director Hakkı Halid Bey has employed
quite a sly and cunning approach to cover up his embezzlement. Taking
advantage of a novice inspector, pure silver was added to 50,000 medals
sent to the mint by the Ministry for melting, during the melting process.
Then, by increasing the heat beyond the customary temperature, Hakkı
Halid Bey had the purity elevated as he desired. He next appealed to
the former Finance Ministry legal advisor, who has since been fired, to
have the purity of the medals reassessed and, by obtaining an order from
the Minister, he had the ingots produced from the melted silver tested for
purity.
Yet, there are still 250,000 medals that have still not been melted down.
In light of the report submitted previously by two specialist chemists,
which was not taken seriously, the remaining medals must be examined
one by one to test their purity. There is no other way.
Second: The honored members of the investigating commission should
not consider examination of the mint's registers to be sufficient. They
must be informed that the reason for this is that these registers,
particularly those which relate to expenses and purchases concerning
gold treatments, have been carefully prepared by the Director and his
cohorts. The members will no doubt find many odd things in the
registers but they must pay most attention to the evidence and signals
of corruption.
The commission members should not rely on mint officials, since they
are under the influence of Hakkı Halid Bey and receive daily guidance
vis-a-vis the investigation. So, there must be experts from outside the
mint involved in the investigation.
//END of PART VI//
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