The actions of police officers after Mohammed Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the son of Somali President Hasan Sheikh Mohamud, was involved in a fatal traffic accident in Istanbul are subject to a thorough judicial investigation, as announced by Turkish Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç.
Yunus Emre Göçer, a motorcycle courier, died in the collision. On November 30, in the vicinity of Istanbul’s Eurasia Tunnel, Göçer’s motorcycle was rear-ended by a Somali consular car driven by Mohamud.
Göçer, 38, was using the designated safety lane when the accident occurred. Göçer was critically injured in the crash and died in the hospital after a six-day struggle.
In his statement, Minister Tunç stressed the importance of legal equality and the need for an exhaustive investigation process. “Everyone, irrespective of their position, is equal before the law,” Tunç stated, underlining the meticulous nature of the procedures being followed, including international protocols, to ensure justice is served.
When it was revealed that Mohamud had left Turkey on December 2, not long after the accident, the level of public interest in the case grew.
He departed before Turkish authorities issued an arrest warrant and announced a ban on foreign travel, which sparked a public uproar in Istanbul.
An expert forensic traffic report that stressed Mohamud was at primary fault is a crucial component of the investigation.
The report excluded environmental factors as a cause and described the clear weather and road conditions.
Mohamud’s allegations that Göçer abruptly braked and turned without signalling were refuted by the report as well.
On camera, Göçer could be seen to slow down gradually and obey traffic laws, but Mohamud was unable to keep a safe following distance.