The son of Somalia’s president was sentenced by a Turkish court on Tuesday to two and a half years in jail for causing death by negligence, which translates into a fine of 27,300 Turkish lira ($900), the state media reported.
Mohamed Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud was operating a car carrying a diplomatic license plate on November 30 when he crashed into a motorcycle courier in central Istanbul, grievously injuring him.
He fled the country on December 2, after a police interrogation. An arrest warrant was issued for him after the courier gave up the ghost at the hospital he was taken to on December 6.
Mahmoud was tried in absentia in Istanbul on Tuesday, having been back to Turkey to appear before the court last week. He had denied negligence, saying the motorbike had stopped suddenly and he could not avoid the collision.
The prosecutor had sought at least six years in prison for Mahmoud.
Converting prison sentences to fines happens periodically in the Turkish judicial system. His driving license in Turkey was also cancelled for six months.
