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Tolga Akis, founder of Turkish pop group Manifest and talent agency Hypers, was detained in Istanbul, Türkiye's largest city, as part of an investigation by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
According to separate reports, the investigation is being handled by the prosecutor's office's Smuggling, Narcotics and Economic Crimes Investigation Bureau, and concerns allegations involving obscenity, drug use and the laundering of proceeds from crime.
Akis has not been convicted of any offense, and the detention marks a procedural step in an ongoing investigation rather than a legal finding of guilt.
The detention follows weeks of public allegations surrounding Manifest, its management and Akis personally.
Mesut Adlin, a photographer previously affiliated with the group, made a series of claims concerning contractual terms for Manifest's members and matters related to their private lives. Adlin was detained earlier and released after giving a statement to police, according to prior reports.
Manifest, an all-female pop group, and Hypers, the agency Akis founded, have not issued a public statement addressing Wednesday's detention.
Akis' legal representative has previously denied allegations made against him in connection with the case, though no response specific to this detention had been issued at the time of writing.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has not released further details on the scope or timeline of the investigation. Turkish authorities have not indicated whether additional individuals connected to Manifest or Hypers are under related inquiry.
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