fraud Archives

Turkey Major election fraud suspicion in Viranşehir

April 20, 2017 by administrator

Rıdvan Yılmaz, spokesperson of HDP Election Committee, claimed that block votes were cast in 60 neighborhoods in Viranşehir district of Urfa. In Viranşehir, there are 13,067 “yes” and 58 “no” votes.

HDP stated that there are 13,067 “yes” and 58 “no” votes in Viranşehir, since AKP forced block voting.

According to Dihaber, Rıdvan Yılmaz, spokesperson of HDP Election Committee, stated that polling clerks were subjected to pressure and sent away, unstamped ballots and envelops were used and block votes were cast in many rural neighborhoods.

Block vote in 60 neighborhoods

Sharing the findings of the investigation for revealing the irregularities in referendum, Yavuz stated that block votes were cast in many rural neighborhoods. He said that Viranşehir district is an example to that. A trustee was assigned to the municipality of Viranşehir, where 13,067 “yes” and 58 “no” votes were cast in referendum.

Yılmaz said: “This result doesn’t make any sense. We expect SBE (Supreme Board of Election) to act morally. Many villages in Viranşehir voted for HDP in previous elections. If there weren’t block voting, the result of the referendum would have been different in those villages. This shows that people of Viranşehir doesn’t accept the trustee, but they were denied the right to vote freely and a forced ‘yes’ was achieved with pressure and fraud.”

Yavuz also added that this kind of fraud took place in more than 1,200 villages in Urfa city, they collected all documents and objected to results in many ballot boxes.

Source: agos.com

Report: A cancer scientist who got millions in U.S. grants faces mounting fraud accusations. But his university has repeatedly stood by him.

March 8, 2017 by administrator

Dr. Carlo Croce is among the most prolific scientists in an emerging area of cancer research involving what is sometimes called the “dark matter” of the human genome.
But over the last several years, Dr. Croce has been fending off a tide of allegations of data falsification and other scientific misconduct, according to federal and state records, whistle-blower complaints and correspondence with scientific journals obtained by The New York Times.
Dr. Croce’s story is a case study of the complex and often countervailing forces at work as science seeks to police itself.

Source:https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/08/science/cancer-carlo-croce.html?emc=edit_ta_20170308&nl=top-stories&nlid=49769097&ref=headline

Turkish Group, Congresswoman Fined for Campaign Fraud

June 22, 2016 by administrator

Former Republican Congresswoman Jean Schmidt faces a $2,500 fine for not reporting legal assistance provided by a pro-Turkish group. (Photo: Associated Press/Alex Brandon)

CINCINNATI, Ohio (Cincinnati Enquirer)—Former Republican Congresswoman Jean Schmidt faces a $2,500 fine for not reporting legal assistance provided by a pro-Turkish group, reported the Cincinnati Enquirer.

The Turkish Coalition of America Inc., which aided Schmidt in several legal disputes connected to her political career, will pay a $25,000 fine, the Federal Election Commission said in its letter to all parties in the matter.

The June 10 agreement with the FEC comes nearly five years after Schmidt’s political opponent, David Krikorian, leveled the accusation, which was a part of a multi-front battle between the two over Schmidt’s support of Turkey in Congress and Krikorian’s characterizations about her support.

Neither Schmidt nor Krikorian are in politics anymore, but the battle has continued, long after voters rejected them both.

The Armenian National Committee of America issued a statement after the 2012 Congressional elections, highlighting Schmidt’s ties to groups campaigning for the denial of the Armenian genocide. “We welcome Congresswoman Jean Schmidt’s rejection by Ohio voters. The ethics investigation into her impermissible financial ties with genocide-denial groups allied with Ankara clearly contributed meaningfully to her defeat, as, no doubt, did voter backlash against her relentlessly mean-spirited and unfair attacks against Armenian American candidate David Krikorian,” read the statement.

Schmidt reported she had repaid Turkish Coalition of America $42,812 in legal fees and expenses, but in fact, the TCA provided free legal services to Schmidt worth $651,244 in several cases from 2008 to 2011, the FEC said. Schmidt was represented by TCA’s legal arm, the Turkish American Legal Defense Fund.

“We are pleased that this matter was resolved in the manner that explains the mitigating circumstances and the ambiguous state of the law,” said David Saltzman, legal counsel for the Turkish Coalition of America. “Rather than litigate this matter, the Turkish Coalition of America agreed to settle on favorable terms and thereby keeps its focus on its programs that help foster understanding and cooperation across the globe.”

“With these actions, the FEC has finally delivered a small measure of justice,” said Krikorian in an emailed statement. “The Turkish Coalition of America should have its ‘charitable’ status revoked for its willful and egregious violations of campaign finance law.”

The Enquirer could not reach Schmidt for comment.

ARMENIA The opposition reveals evidence of fraud in the referendum

December 17, 2015 by administrator

In what he called new evidence of serious fraud, the National Congress (HAK) reported yesterday the huge discrepancies between the official results of the constitutional referendum of December 6 and what was actually recorded in five districts in Yerevan.

Levon Zurabian, an HAK leader, showed reporters the alleged copies of voting protocols provided by election commissions indicating that most local voters rejected the necessary constitutional changes by President Serzh Sargsyan. He compared these to final figures from the Central Election Commission (CEC).

In one of them, the CEC reported 1155 votes for “yes” and “92” for “no.” But according to protocol that was shown by Zurabian and which was signed by local members of the voting station commission, the constitutional amendments were actually defeated by 421 votes against 343.

In another sector, the protocol of the Commission cited by the representative of HAK announced 156 votes “for” and 426 votes “against” the amendments providing for the transformation of Armenia into a parliamentary republic. However, the CEC registered 418 “for” and 169 votes “against”.

Zurabian depicts these conflicting data as further evidence that the administration of Sargsyan rigged the referendum. “People have spent all night contrefaires signatures, develop new protocols at the polling stations,” he lamented.

Zurabian said he had submitted the documents to the Attorney General Gevorg Kostanian. “We appeal to the Attorney General for investigation of these falsifications, identify and punish the guilty individuals,” he said.

The opposition party led by former President Levon Ter-Petrossian has published three days after alleged evidence that the CEC rejected his request for cancellation of the official results of the vote. The HAK now intends to bring the matter before the Constitutional Court. But for that he needs to get the signatures of at least 27 members of Parliament.

Only 17 of the 131 members of the National Assembly have so far signed the call HAK. This is the case of Alexander Arzumanian, a former leader of the HAK, which supported the constitutional reform Sargsyan.

“I am in favor of these changes, but I’m also a legitimate process”, was it justified. “Good things made by fraud are not good.”

Arzumanian added that even if the HAK collects enough signatures to the Constitutional Court, it is almost certain that the call will be rejected. According to him, “this structure has never delivered verdicts justified”.

Thursday, December 17, 2015,
Claire © armenews.com

Armenia fraud claims mar referendum on constitution

December 7, 2015 by administrator

President Sargsyan’s term ends in 2018

Serious irregularities tainted a referendum on Armenian constitutional reform, opposition MPs and independent European observers say.

Sunday’s vote showed majority approval for boosting the prime minister’s role and making the president’s job largely ceremonial, according to official data.

But MPs from the Council of Europe said voting lists were inaccurate and “too many citizens” saw the reform as a vehicle for President Serzh Sargsyan.

He could become prime minister in 2018.

Armenia’s electoral commission said 63.35% of the electorate voted for the constitutional reform.

The turnout was just over 50%, making it valid.

But the head of the No camp, opposition MP Levon Zurabyan, complained of large-scale vote-rigging.

“There were mass cases of ballot-stuffing, violence, pressure, vote-buying,” he said.

He and some other opposition MPs boycotted Monday’s parliament session in protest. Hours earlier, hundreds of people joined a protest rally in the capital, Yerevan.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) raised similar concerns about the vote, and said the run-up to it had been marred by “little public debate”.

The low turnout “reflects the fact that the referendum was driven by political interests instead of the needs of the Armenian public”, it said.

And the reform “was understood by too many citizens as being a means for the current president to remain in power after the end of his second (and what would have been final) term”. The Council of Europe is the top European human rights watchdog.

Lene Wetteland of the European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) said “we are disappointed by both the campaign and the vote itself.

“The (ruling) Republican Party of Armenia exerted serious pressure on both observers and journalists,” she said.

Armenia Referendum: Fraud in Armenia

December 6, 2015 by administrator

Illustration

While Armenians are called to speak that day for or against the reform of the Constitution, the Armenian section of Transparency International, fighting against corruption, this morning reveals several cases of fraud.

The most obvious at this time. A man holding currency and comes vote twice.

Polling station 10/20 – School 110, a porter breaks the hardware of a journalist.

Sunday, December 6, 2015,
Jean Eckian © armenews.com

Opposition Group Cites Fraud: Bribes paid, says “Salvation Front”

December 6, 2015 by administrator

constitutional-referndum2015-new-armenia

Opposition groups which oppose changes in Armenia’s constitution say that a number of cases of fraud have been observed at polling stations during today’s referendum. report ArmeniaNow

The ballot in progress is on constitutional amendments envisaging Armenia’s switch from the current semi-presidential to a parliamentary form of government.

Before the referendum, the “No” camp representatives repeatedly pointed out that the referendum will pass with frauds, recalling previous elections.

“While higher representatives of authorities were recently promising that no election bribe would be delivered during this election, they have been delivering it since yesterday,” said Armen Martirosyan, deputy head of Heritage party, a member of New Armenia Public Salvation Front.

“We got a call that money was distributed in a minibus, in front of polling station 7/33, 116 people from a pastry factory came to polling station 7/23 with additional lists to vote, and a ballot stuffing was prevented at 7/22,” Martirosyan told media on Sunday.

According to Martirosyan, pressures on members of the committees are also very specific. “I have been a committee member since 1996 and since 2004 have been part of the Heritage party and I do not ever remember that these kinds of temptations and pressure on the members of the election committee have been carried out,” he concluded.

Raffi Hovannisian, the Heritage party leader, New Armenia civil group member, after filling in the ballot and putting it in the envelope tore it saying that he did it “for the sake of the Republic of Armenia”.

For five days the New Armenia Public Salvation Front, which brought together more than a dozen political and civil forces, including Founding Parliament and Heritage parties, has organized a sit-in in Liberty Square saying “no” to the constitutional amendments.

Turkey election results stink of fraud – National Review

November 4, 2015 by administrator

By Daniel Pipes

(Photo: Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty)

Like other observers of Turkish politics, I was stunned on November 1 when the ruling Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi, or AKP) was reported to have increased its share of the national vote since the last round of elections in June 2015 by 9 percent and its share of parliamentary seats by 11 percent. The polls had consistently shown the four major parties winning about the same number of seats as in June. This made intuitive sense; they represent mutually hostile outlooks (Islamist, leftist, Kurdish, nationalist), making substantial movement between them in under five months highly unlikely. That about one in nine voters switched parties defies reason.
The AKP’s huge increase gave it back the parliamentary majority it had lost in the June 2015 elections, promising President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a semi-legal path to the dictatorial powers he aspires to. But, to me, the results stink of fraud. It defies reason, for example, that the AKP’s war on Kurds would prompt about a quarter of Turkey’s Kurds to abandon the pro-Kurdish party and switch their votes to the AKP. As news of irregularities comes in, Michael Rubin of AEI summed up the problems at Commentary: Turkish political analysts attribute Erdogan’s cheating quotient at around 5 percent —

that takes into accountstuffed ballots, shenanigans on the state-run Turkish Airlines as it transports ballots from abroad, disappeared ballot boxes from opposition-run towns and districts, and pretty much everything involving the mayor of Ankara.

In the case of Sunday’s elections, it appears that Erdogan’s AKP won the votes of hundreds of thousands of dead people. Given the history of fraud in Turkey’s elections, that this one was rigged comes as no shock, especially as rumors swirled in advance about sophisticated efforts to manipulate the results. (For methods, think the Volkswagen emissions scam.) The citizens of Turkey now face the decisive question of whether to accept or reject the results of this election. Which will prevail — fear of Erdogan’s ruthlessness or anger at his swindle? Sadly, because his electoral coup d’état has blocked the path of democracy, should Turks resist, they are compelled to do so in non-democratic ways.

Pro-Kurdish HDP Party Alleges Fraud Across Eastern Turkey Polling Stations

November 1, 2015 by administrator

Turkey’s pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) headquarters received complaints of fraud from polling stations across the eastern Turkish province of Agri during snap parliamentary elections, according to correspondent.

AGRI (Turkey) (Sputnik) – Turkey’s pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) headquarters received complaints of fraud from polling stations across the eastern Turkish province of Agri, a Sputnik correspondent reported Sunday.
With 66.5 percent of the votes counted, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is ahead in the snap elections with 51.8 percent. MHP is just above the 10-percent threshold at 11.4 percent, behind the main opposition CHP party at 22.6 percent.
Intense security presence was observed throughout the polling stations, with entrance bans in place for foreign observers and journalists.
Leyla Zana, one of 80 HDP candidates into Turkey’s 550-seat Grand National Assembly, voted earlier in the northwest Agri city of Eleskirt. Zana also reportedly experienced problems with access to the station.

Turkey Election Reports of ‘ghost voters,’ stolen ballot papers deepen fraud concerns

June 5, 2015 by administrator

June 05, 2015, Friday/ 18:15:01/ TODAY’S ZAMAN / ISTANBUL

With just one day remaining until the June 7 parliamentary election, reports of voter registration forms sent to non-existent people registered at imaginary addresses and claims that ballot papers and ballot box seals have been stolen in Sakarya province have deepened concerns over possible election fraud. report Zaman

Sakarya Bar Association President Zafer Kazan claimed on Twitter on Thursday that two sacks of ballot papers and ballot box seals to be used in Sunday’s election had been stolen in Sakarya. Kazan further claimed those ballot papers have been sent to fraudulent identities. In one of his tweets, Kazan said that the items in question were stolen from a sports hall that will be used as a polling station in the Serdivan district of Sakarya. The Sakarya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has since launched an investigation.

In a report published in the Bugün daily on Thursday, a group set up by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in İstanbul’s Kadıköy district has found that voter registration forms had been sent to a total of 2,860 people who are not residents of Kadıköy. CHP Kadıköy district Chairman Ali Narin said: “For instance, just two people reside in an apartment in the fourth floor of one block. However, more than two people have been registered as voters living at this two-person apartment. This family called us and told us that two non-existent people had been registered as living at their apartment. This has proved that there are many nonexistent voters in Kadıköy.”

Similarly, Nalan Dilaverler, who lives in an apartment block in the Bakırköy district of İstanbul, found out that 12 voter registration forms had been sent to the block by the Supreme Election Board (YSK) despite the fact that there are only eight apartments in the building. She noted that four of the registration papers correspond to fake addresses.

“In our block, the apartments are numbered from four to 11. However, four voter registration papers were sent to apartments numbered one, two, three and 12,” Dilaverler said.

Noting that there were no ID numbers written on these voter registration forms, she said that she had informed several public institutions including the muhtar (neighborhood head), the Bakırköy Registry Office and the provincial election board about the situation.

Saying that the registry office is currently reviewing the issue, Dilaverler maintained that she will keep an eye on proceedings during election day and watch out for any fraudulent activity.

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