Özkan even paid YTL 9,000 for Saçan's daughter's classes for preparing for the national Student Selection Examination (ÖSS).

Other evidence found during raids on the homes and offices of the suspects has revealed that Saçan frequently held meetings in Özkan's office at the Kanal D TV station's headquarters, where Özkan worked as an editor for some time, and that Saçan frequently shared secret information about ongoing police operations with Özkan.

Çankaya bribery document

The investigation has also unearthed a link between Ergenekon and the ongoing bribery scandal at Ankara's Çankaya Municipality. According to a report that appeared in the Star daily yesterday, documents found in Ergenekon-related raids show that Çankaya Mayor Muzaffer Eryılmaz, who is being accused of having bribed municipal council members to get his projects approved, used the municipality's money to finance the Cumhuriyet daily, a staunchly secularist and anti-government newspaper whose chief columnist is currently under arrest pending trial as an Ergenekon suspect. Two receipts record money transfers made from the Çankaya Municipality to Cumhuriyet's account this year on Feb. 19 and Mar. 5.

Eruygur in better condition

Meanwhile, top Ergenekon suspect retired Gen. Şener Eruygur, who was released from jail where he was awaiting trial after suffering from a cerebral hemorrhage resulting from a fall on Sept. 17, will be released from the intensive care unit of the hospital where he is currently being treated, his doctors said yesterday.

The existence of Ergenekon, a behind-the-scenes network attempting to use social and psychological engineering to shape the country in accordance with its own ultranationalist ideology, has long been suspected, but the current investigation into the group began only in 2007, when a house in İstanbul's Ümraniye district that was being used as an arms depot was discovered by police.

The investigation was expanded to reveal elements of what in Turkey is called the deep state, finally proving the existence of the network, which is currently accused of trying to incite chaos and disorder in order to trigger a coup against the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government.