Famagusta, Cyprus. Former Turkish Cypriot Famagusta police chief Baris Sel appeared in court on Friday in the latest hearing of his trial over a master’s degree he allegedly obtained under false pretences from Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University (KSTU). He faces 20 charges, remains on bail, and his next hearing is scheduled for April 13.
Sel’s case and previous statements
Sel has previously told the court that the north’s now retired police chief Kasim Kuni had conspired against him, saying that “mud is being thrown at me”.
Broader fake diploma scandal
The fake diploma scandal has affected the north’s education sector in recent years, with numerous high-profile figures arrested and cases moving through the courts.
Related cases and sentences
Serdal Gunduz, KSTU’s former secretary-general, was sentenced last November to 15 years in prison after being found guilty of crimes linked to the scandal. Former ‘education minister’ Kemal Durust, who served three separate stints between 2009 and 2016, is also set to face trial.
Ongoing high-profile proceedings
The most high-profile current court case is that of Fatma Unal, a close personal associate of the north’s ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel. It has been alleged in court during that trial that the north’s ‘parliament speaker’ Ziya Ozturkler also committed criminal wrongdoing.
Allegations involving Ziya Ozturkler
No indictment has yet been issued for Ozturkler, but a key witness in Unal’s case said he coerced university employees into awarding Unal the degree and then naturalised the people he had coerced as ‘TRNC’ citizens. He was reported to the police over the matter last month.
What do you think the ongoing court cases will mean for the north’s education sector?
