REVEALED: THE KENYAN LINK IN PUZZLE OF ARMENIANS
Standard, Kenya
March 16 2006
The Armenians at the centre of the mercenaries claim could be co-owning
a company with the daughter of Narc activist Mary Wambui, documents
in our possession indicate.
Ms Winfred Wangui Mwai is one of five shareholders of Kensington
Holding Limited, alongside Armenians Artur Margaryan and Artur
Sargysyan. The other two are Mr Alois Otieno Omita, believed to be
Wambui’s personal assistant and a Mr Julius Maina Mwangi, according to
the company’s memorandum and articles of association. The document also
indicates that the company was incorporated on January 8, 2005, which
would mean the Armenians have been in Kenya longer than acknowledged
by the Government. The company – CNo 1218071 -was incorporated by
A. M. Macharia Advocate of Post Office Box 32304, Nairobi – one of the
lawyers who was at the airport on Monday morning when the Armenians
addressed a Press conference. He also visited their house in Runda
Estate, Nairobi, on Tuesday.
A GK car in the Armenians’ compound.
It has also emerged that another company that the Government has
confirmed the Armenian brothers trade under in Kenya – Brother Link
International limited – was incorporated in December 2005.
According to certificate number C 120905, the company was incorporated
on December 1, 2005. The collector of stamp duty certified on November
25, 2005 that stamp duty had been paid.
Fresh twist to unfolding saga
Its shareholders are given as Artur Margaryan, Artur Sargysyan and
a Mr Mohammed Zakir Oomer. The company was incorporated by lawyer
Charles Kiplangat of Maobe and Kiplangat Advocates.
The address of the three shareholders is given as Post office Box 8066,
Nairobi. The latest revelations add a fresh twist to the unfolding
saga of the two Armenians, which has puzzled the country for more
than two weeks.
It began with a claim by Langata MP Raila Odinga that the foreigners
who led the commando-like raid on the Standard Group premises were
mercenaries.
Raila was challenged by police to provide more information on the
claim, and later recorded a statement re-affirming his claim. He
gave police a map to a house in Runda and later provided copies of
the Armenians’ passports, which were published in the Press on Sunday.
The next morning, the two Armenians addressed a Press conference at
the Government VIP Lounge at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport,
claiming that Raila had borrowed Sh108 million from them. They
also said Raila and Mwingi North MP Kalonzo Musyoka had asked them
to finance a no-confidence-vote in the Government, to the tune of
Sh3 billion.
Both Raila and Kalonzo have denied the claims and asked the Armenians
to provide evidence. Kalonzo, however, confirmed meeting the Armenians
at the Grand Regency Hotel.
Seeking investment opportunities
On Tuesday, it emerged that the Monday Press conference
had been arranged by airport officials, and that the arrival of one
of the Armenians, purportedly from Dubai, was stage-managed.
The Armenians denied the mercenaries tag and said they were
businessmen, seeking investment opportunities in Kenya. They gave
their company’s name as Brother Links, but declined to say what they
dealt in. Officials at the Registrar of Companies denied journalists
access to the firm’s file.
“This file is not available at the moment, you can use this number
(C120905) and come and check at a later date,” an officer told the
journalists on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, we confirmed from documents obtained from our sources
at the Registrar that the Brother Links file is indeed Number C120905.
According to the documents, the capital of Kensington is Sh100,000
divided into 1,000 shares, each valued at Sh100. According to the
Articles of Association, the members shall have the preferential
right to subscribe for and take up all further shares authorised to
be issued.
We were unable to establish the share distribution of the company
and who its managing director and secretary are.
It is also not clear from the Memorandum of Association the physical
location of the offices of the company, suffice to say its “registered
office will be situated in the Republic of Kenya”.
Articles of association
The company was incorporated to conduct 36 different types
of businesses, ranging from wholesale and retail of foodstuffs,
dealing in all kinds of drugs, manufacture of chalk and candles,
installation of prefabricated houses, fruit canners, builders and
contractors, tours and safari operators, computer service consultants
to investment experts.
The certificate of incorporation is given as C1215071 and the collector
of stamp duty certified on January 13, 2006 that stamp duty had
been paid.
Lawyer Macharia on Wednesday confirmed he knew the company, but said
he was bound by the Advocate-client confidentiality not to divulge
any details of any dealings between them, without express permission
of the client.
A closer scrutiny of the incorporation documents shows that the postal
address of the shareholders is similar to that of the law firm that
incorporated the company.
According to the articles of association, no invitation shall be
issued to the public to subscribe for any shares or debentures of the
company. The membership of the company shall be limited to fifty and
the right of transfer of the shares of the company shall be restricted.
Investment holding company
The share capital of the company is also 100,000 divided into one 1,000
ordinary shares of sh100 each. The company is to conduct a myriad of
business activities, including advancing money to any person or persons
or corporation at interest or without upon the security of freehold
or leasehold property by way of mortgage or upon marketable security.
The Brother Link International Limited was to act as an investment
holding company and to co-ordinate the business of any companies in
which the company is for the time being interested.
The objectives included, to carry on business of manufacturing soaps,
detergents and collect flowers and perfume producing vegetation.
The new revelations of the Armenians business deals comes a day after
the Immigration Minister Gideon Konchella confirmed the duo was in the
country legally from January when they were issued with work permits
to stay in Kenya. He said they were Armenian consultants in marketing,
business development and finance.