It remained the primary shareholder until 2012, when Sberbank agreed to buy DenizBank for US$3.6 billion from the financially troubled Dexia.

Prosecutors in Istanbul have prepared an indictment seeking prison sentences ranging from 72 to 240 years for Denizbank's CEO, Hakan Ates, and former assistant general manager, Mehmet Aydogdu.

They are accused of orchestrating a fraudulent scheme that defrauded players such as Arda Turan and Fernando Muslera, among others, out of approximately $44 million through a purported "secret special fund".

Ates stated he only learned of the fraudulent activities in April 2023 and promptly reported it to authorities, asserting that any fund creation would require regulatory approval.

Aydogdu echoed this sentiment, claiming he had no knowledge of the fraud and attributing his involvement to his connections with Galatasaray, the football club linked to many victims.

[13][14][15] Denizbank has publicly distanced itself from the allegations, stating that it has not received any formal information regarding the investigation and criticizing the premature disclosure of indictment details as a violation of confidentiality.