Ankara - More than 12 years after a traffic accident in western Turkey exposed links between the Turkish mafia, police and politicians, the trial of the then interior minister was set to get underway in Ankara on Tuesday, but the court decided that another court should try the case, the Anadolu news agency reported.

Former Interior Minister Mehmet Agar was implicated in ties with Turkish mafia boss Abdullah Catli with prosecutors claiming that Agar had protected Catli, a figure wanted by the police for a number of murders, and had even signed Catli's gun licence.

The allegations surfaced after a car crash in 1996 near the western Turkey town of Susurluk in which Catli, his girlfriend and a local police chief were killed. Another passenger in the Mercedes vehicle was then member of parliament Sedat Bucak, a Kurdish chieftain, who survived the crash.

Prosecutors sort to have Agar tried on charges of protecting a wanted criminal and abuse of ministerial power but he was spared trial thanks to parliamentary immunity.

In elections last year Agar lost his parliamentary seat and prosecutors started procedures for Agar to go on trial.

Agar did not attend Tuesday's court hearing with his lawyers presenting the court with a medical certificate which said he was ill.

Shortly afterwards the Ankara Third Serious Crimes Court ruled that due to procedural reasons it was not the correct court to try the case.

The Ankara 11th Serious Crimes Court will now take up the case. If found guilty Agar faces up to six years' imprisonment. (dpa)