"Fleece & Release": Accountant Embezzled $2.5 Million and Lived the High Life - Nabbed but "No Regrets"

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 9 September 2026)

Mesut A.: "It was great fun for a while. Now it's a blur."

Mesut A., an accounting manager in Istanbul who embezzled 122 

million TL (about $2.5 million!) from his company's accounts over the 

years, has been referred to the courthouse along with 19 other suspects—

including his mother, father, wife, and girlfriend. It was reported that the 

suspect, who lost 60 million liras of the funds in casinos in Georgia and 

Cyprus and spent another 5 million on his girlfriend's cosmetic surgeries 

and a house built in her name, stated during police questioning, 

"I have no regrets." (!)

An investigation was launched upon a notice made under the coordination 

of the Public Security Branch Directorate and the Gaziosmanpaşa Chief 

Public Prosecutor's Office. During the studies, it was determined that 

Mesut A., who worked as an accounting manager in a company, 

transferred the company's money over the years, first to his own accounts 

and then to the accounts of his accomplices.

Police teams examined the company's accounts and determined that the 

suspect stole a total of 122 million TL. Fraud Bureau based in Istanbul

carried out an operation in Sinop and Tokat, based in Istanbul, to catch 

the suspect Mesut A. and his accomplices.

A family affair...

Eighteen suspects, including Mesut A., were detained in simultaneous 

raids involving special operations police. The suspects were taken to 

the Public Security Branch Directorate, where they were interrogated 

by the Fraud Bureau.

It was revealed that Mesut A., who is married but in the process of 

divorcing, had a girlfriend; footage surfaced showing him spending 

5 million TL on her cosmetic surgeries, having a house built in her name, 

and enjoying himself with her at nightclubs and casinos. Investigations 

by the teams determined that there was 10 million TL in the account of 

his girlfriend, Ş.Y.

It has emerged that Mesut A. gambled in Georgia and Cyprus, losing 

approximately 60 million TL; among the 19 suspects detained in 

connection with the incident were Mesut A., his mother, his father, 

his estranged spouse, his girlfriend, and his colleagues.

Meanwhile, it was reported that the company owner, upon reviewing 

the documents, discovered that Mesut A. had embezzled funds; 

consequently, the owner fired him and filed a complaint. Additionally, 

legal measures were imposed on 12 vehicles and 5 properties belonging 

to the suspects, and their bank accounts were frozen. In his statement 

to the police, Mesut A. expressed no remorse. The 19 detained suspects 

were referred to the courthouse.

Road to ruin!