NOW KALONZO QUIZZED OVER ARMENIANS
Story By Bernard Namunane
Daily Nation, Kenya
March 15 2006
Former Cabinet minister Kalonzo Musyoka yesterday said the two
Armenians at the centre of the mercenary row wanted him to introduce
them to Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila.
Mr Kalonzo and Mr Musyoka named Nairobi businessman Raju Sanghani as
the person who introduced him to the two foreigners who Lang’ata MP
Raila Odinga claims are mercenaries.
The top Orange Democratic Movement leader was giving details of what
he knows about Mr Artur Sargsyan and Mr Artur Margaryan in a statement
he recorded at Kilimani police station.
Mr Musyoka, who arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
from Addis Ababa at 2.40 pm, went straight to the Kilimani CID offices
following a Government order that he records a statement.
He declined to speak to journalists at the airport and said he was
wanted by the police. “I have been informed that the police are after
me. I am going straight to Kilimani police station,” Mr Musyoka,
who was flanked by Mutito MP Kiema Kilonzo, said.
Mr Musyoka emerged from a one-and-a-half hour session with the CID
officer tasked to investigate the mercenaries allegations, Mr Isaiah
Osugo, to state that he has never requested for funding from the
two Armenians.
He said Mr Sanghani introduced the two foreigners, whom he described as
“flamboyantly endowed in gold chains, rings, bracelets and watches”
at the Grand Regency’s Summit Club in late November last year.
“Whilst at the club, businessman Raju Sanghani walked over to where
I was seated accompanied by two persons who were casually dressed
and introduced them as businessmen from Dubai,” Mr Musyoka said.
Mr Sanghani is the former owner of Guilders International Bank,
chairman of Real Motors Group and an estate management firm.
During the 10-minute encounter, Mr Musyoka said one of the two
foreigners introduced himself as a relative of the Armenian President
and that he had set his eyes on a top political seat in his country.
In apparent reference to Mr Sargsyan, he said the Armenian told him of
his business interests in DR Congo and inquired if Mr Musyoka could
use his influence as a former Foreign minister to introduce him to
President Kabila.
“I informed them that I knew President Kabila but was not
well-acquainted with him. That was the end of our discussion,”
narrated the Mwingi North MP.
Contacted last evening, Mr Sanghani confirmed he had introduced Mr
Musyoka to the two men in an “accidental” meeting.
He said the two were associates of a Dubai businessman, Mr Zakher
Omar, a friend he had met in Mumbai, India, last year. Mr Omar deals
in general commodities, steel rolling and real estate development in
Dubai and India.
“He and l met accidentally at the hotel l was staying in and we got
talking. I tried to interest him in investing in Kenya especially in
real estate…”
“Sometime in November he came with two people he introduced as Arthur
and James. He claimed they were members of the “royal” family in
Armenia,” Mr Sanghani said in a telephone interview.
He said that one evening during the three or four days which Mr Omar
and his associates spent in the country, he took them to the Summit
Club in the Grand Regency where they met Mr Musyoka.
“It was a casual, accidental meeting. I introduced them and told Mr
Musyoka that they were members of the Armenian “royal” family.
Indeed, l told him that one of the men was a presidential aspirant. I
also told him that the men were interested in investing in gold and
diamonds in the Democratic Republic of Congo,” Mr Sanghani said.
The conversation lasted a few minutes after which one of the Armenians
requested that Mr Musyoka pose for a photograph with them.
Mr Sanghani said he visited Dubai later that month on his way to
London. “They welcomed me and took me round the place. When l returned
to Kenya sometime in December, they were also here,” he said.
During one of their outings, the “accidentally” ran into Mr Musyoka
at the Serena Hotel. They chatted about the business and the MP asked
them about vehicle importations “which is one of the ventures they
were into”, Mr Sanghani said.
On Monday, Mr Sargsyan told journalists at JKIA that he and his
brother were introduced to Mr Musyoka and Mr Raila Odinga by an Asian
businessman at the Grand Regency hotel.
It was during the meeting, the Armenians claimed, that Mr Musyoka
made a request for Sh3 billion to fund a vote of no-confidence in
the Government, a request they declined.
Instead, Mr Sargsyan said, they agreed to a request by Mr Odinga to
lend him $1.5 million (about Sh108 million).
But yesterday, Mr Musyoka, a former Environment minister, said Mr
Odinga was not in the picture. Instead, he said he was accompanied
by Nairobi businessman Kennedy Ngumbau.
The MP, who was flanked by ODM Members of Parliament Mutula Kilonzo,
Gideon Moi, Nick Salat, Daudi Mwanzia and Sammy Weya, described the
Armenians as “dangerous” people.
“They are people who are absolutely dangerous to Kenyans and the
Government must ensure the security and safety of ODM leaders,”
he said.
Mr Musyoka claimed that the move by the two to take a photo with him
at the hotel came to haunt him three weeks ago after the raid at the
Standard and Kenya Television Network offices.
“It occurred to me after the attack on KTN and the Standard newspapers
in which the said persons were alleged to have been involved, that
the intention of having a photograph with me was for the purpose of
identification and possible elimination.”
Mr Musyoka becomes the second ODM leader, after Mr Odinga, to record
a statement with the police over the mercenary saga. The Lang’ata MP
recorded a statement at Kilimani police station on Monday.
ODM leaders have claimed that the presence of Mr Sargsyan and Mr
Margaryan in the country was known to people at high levels in
Government. They have also claimed that the foreigners were being
given State protection.
But Environment minister Kivutha Kibwana has warned that Mr Odinga
risks being taken to court over the claims of mercenaries in the
country.