I AM IN KENYA TO STAY, SAYS ARMENIAN

Daily Nation, Kenya
March 16 2006

Armenian Artur Margaryan yesterday remained defiant despite a one-week
ultimatum by two Nairobi MPs who said he should leave the country.

The MPs had earlier said they would lead a demonstration to the
Armenians’ rented house in Runda estate, Nairobi, if he did not leave
the country.

But yesterday, the Armenian enigma said he was in Kenya to stay. He
also said he had neither been to State House nor met the President.

Neither had he transacted any business with the Government.

Asked whether he had ever conducted business with Ms Winnie Wangui,
the daughter of a Narc politician, Mr Margaryan said it was his
brother’s responsibility to establish business contacts and partners.

He was just running the business.

Mr Margaryan said he was not afraid of the two MPs who had threatened
to raid his house. Instead, he invited Mr Fred Gumo and Mr Reuben
Ndolo for talks so that he could explain himself to them.

But he claimed that there were people who were calling his family in
Dubai to intimidate them.

The confident-looking man, dressed in black and sporting gold chains,
bracelets and rings, emerged from his Runda House at 10.15am to tell
a group of journalists that the Westlands (Gumo) and Makadara (Ndolo)
MPs had no authority to raid his house.

“I don’t know why they had to come here because they are neither
policemen nor immigration officials. They are not judges either but
I was not at home and I do not know what they want. They should be
told that they do not need seven days, they can come even now and
let’s meet and talk as men. I believe there is justice in Kenya,”
Mr Margaryan said.

He emerged from his home after a 15-minute stake-out by journalists,
some of whom were perched on tree tops to get a vantage point to film
the goings-on in the compound.

When he came out, he first asked: “What is it today? I have no
quarrel with the media and you don’t have to climb on tree tops to
take pictures. What if you break your leg?”

Journalists engaged him in a half hour interview during which he
said that he was willing to record a statement with the police on
the allegations he has made against Orange Democratic Movement MPs
Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka. He added: “And I am even ready to
testify in court.”

Mr Margaryan and his brother, Mr Artur Sargsyan, had earlier claimed
that they had been asked for a loan by ODM leaders.

The man also denied that he had ever used a vehicle with GK
registration numbers. He said he was covering his vehicle’s number
plates for security reasons.

He also declined to divulge details about his businesses, saying that
that would lead to “commercial spying” where such details would be
picked up by business rivals to his disadvantage.

“I’m in property development and I import electronics and cars from
Dubai. I cannot disclose more,” he said.

He said he was Armenian and had never worked for the Czech Republic
in any capacity. He was responding to a journalist’s question whether
he had any connection with the Czech Republic.

Unlike Czech citizens who have “yellowish hair and lighter skin,
we Armenians have black hair and are dark skinned. Anyone who speaks
Armenian can confirm this.”

He also denied claims that he and his brother were involved in money
laundering or drug trafficking.

“My money is legal and anyone who is thinking otherwise should prove
it,” he said.

His business life, he said, started after the collapse of the Union
of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) which, he said, had been “one
big jail. One big concentration camp. “After the collapse, my six
brothers and I began to move to Turkey and Pakistan and Egypt and
other countries and to take goods home and make a profit. We worked
in many countries and finally loved Dubai from where we have operated
for a while,” he said.