Irishman questioned in £10 million "property scam"
AN IRISHMAN has been questioned in a £10 million ‘fake villa scam’ which is believed to have duped dozens of British and Irish families in Didim and Bodrum. Kevin O’Kane was taken in by police in Didim and taken to Bodrum yesterday for questioning about falsely marketing 41 villas at Golden Beach Villas, at Imbat Bay, in Altinkum.
Police in Bodrum are investigating claims that as many as up to 80 families may have been swındled based on promises of luxury villas in Bodrum and Altinkum which O’Kane and his business partner Kubilay Atmaca were not entitled to sell. O’Kane has been released on police bail while the inquiry continues. He has had his passport confiscated.When he appeared before a court in Bodrum yesterday as part of the criminal investigation, O’Kane said; “I have been advertising the villas in Altinkum and Bodrum at international real estate and tourist fairs. “I also purchased a villa and have not received the deed yet. I too have been treated unjustly and have no idea about sales involving fake deeds.” His passport has been confiscated while enquiries continue.
Victims, including Tom Barry, from Northern Ireland, have spoken of handing over £75,000 each for the three-bed luxury villas. In one case, three members of one family paid a total of £225,000 for three villas only to find later that they did not actually own them. At least eight Irish citizens applied to police headquarters and the prosecutor's office, and the Northern Ireland Police have launched an investigation after receiving 80 complaints on this issue. Özlem Arslanparçası, the lawyer representing eight Irish citizens who purchased villas in Golden Beach Holiday Resort said the number of the defrauded people is increasing each day.
Police are still searching for 38-year-old Atmaca, a taxi driver two years ago but now in the construction business, and his 40-year-old wife Hande Bakkal.
They are also accused of selling villas with fake deeds, but have managed to evade police capture.
Courtesy of Altinkum Voices Newspaper
