KIBAKI URGED TO SPEAK OUT ON ARMENIANS
Story By Nation Team
Reported by Jeff Otieno, David Mugonyi, Tony Kago, Kennedy Masibo,
Ngumbao Kithi, Tim Kamuzu Banda and Patrick Mayoyo.
Daily Nation, Kenya
June 12 2006
Pressure mounted yesterday on the Government to explain why the
controversial Armenian brothers at the heart of security breaches
and underhand deals were deported without facing criminal charges.
Internal Security minister John Michuki (centre) chats with church
elders after he attended Mass at the Consolata Shrine in Nairobi
yesterday. The minister stated that the Government did the right thing
in deporting the two Armenian brothers. Photo by Stephen Mudiari
Politicians, religious leaders and lawyers said it was wrong for
the Government to spirit out Mr Artur Margaryan and his brother,
Mr Artur Sargsyan, instead of fully investigating their activities
and taking them to court to answer criminal charges.
But President Kibaki distanced himself from reports that his family
was linked to the Armenians.
He said Ms Winnie Wangui, who is linked to the two foreigners, is
not a member of his family.
In a personal statement last night, the President said he was
“distressed” by media reports introducing other people to be members
of his family.
“I am personally distressed that Sunday Nation chose to link my
family with the two foreigners who went to church accompanied by a
woman and other people whose names are not mentioned,” he said in
the brief statement.
The report had indicated that Ms Wangui, a daughter of influential
Narc activist Mary Wambui, and the two brothers went to the Holy
Family recently.
The President demanded an apology from the Sunday Nation and threatened
to take legal action.
He said the Government was investigating activities of the foreigners.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Press Service has issued a statement
denying that the two foreigners had weapons used by Presidential
Escort. The PSS also said no weapons were missing from the Presidential
security unit. There were reports that weapons bearing serial numbers
like those from the Presidential Escort service were found in the
compound of the brothers’ rented house in Runda.
Yesterday, Anglican Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi, Lang’ata MP Raila
Odinga and Assistant minister Koigi Wamwere demanded that the
Government should come clean on the matter.
But Cabinet ministers John Michuki and Martha Karua defended the
Government, saying the decision to declare the two persona non-grata
on Kenyan soil was the right one.
“Action speaks louder than words. We have taken action. What other
language do you want?” Mr Michuki asked after attending morning Mass
at the Consolata church in Westlands, Nairobi.
Asked whether the Government took the action to protect some
influential people in Government in dealings with the two brothers,
Mr Michuki said in Kiswahili: “Mnataka watu wa kuongea ama watu wa
kufanya? (Do you want people who only talk or people who take action?”)
Ms Karua, who spoke in Nakuru, said the Government hurried the
deportation process “and will also carry out thorough investigations
into the matter”. She added: “A foreigner enters the country with
express authority from the Government after being given a visa and
the same can be revoked and the owner deported.”
Questionable character
Archbishop Nzimbi described the presence and eventual deportation of
Mr Margaryan and Mr Sargsyan as undesirable and accused the Government
of giving sanctuary to people of questionable character.
He said it was ironical and disturbing that foreigners could commit
a crime in the country and get away with it, without the Government
explaining the matter to the public.
His Church, he said, was concerned with the way the Government had
handled the two foreigners. “We are unhappy that the security of
Kenyans has been compromised but the responsible ministry has not
sought to explain to the citizens what happened at the airport. We
have only been told by the media that the two brothers were deported,
but without reasons,” Archbishop Nzimbi said in Nakuru.
And, Mr Odinga took the blame to State House, saying President Kibaki
was aware of the activities of the Artur brothers but had failed
to act.
The MP challenged President Kibaki to speak out on the Artur brothers’
saga.
He said it was a security breach for foreigners to threaten Government
officials with guns and create commotion at an international airport.
Mr Odinga, who was the first to blow the whistle on the Artur brothers,
reiterated that the two were up to no good and that they had been
hosted at State House several times.
Speaking on the telephone from Seoul, Korea, Mr Odinga said: “The
President cannot plead ignorance and keep quiet believing people
will excuse him. This is an issue the President should come out
and explain.”
He said a prominent Narc activist, a powerful Cabinet minister and
a senior police officer knew what the Artur brothers were doing in
the country.
The decision to retain Mr Michuki as Internal Security minister,
Mr Odinga added, reflected President Kibaki’s poor way of running
the country.
Mr Michuki, however, did not explain by who and why the Armenians
were given airport security badges to access the highly-guarded Jomo
Kenyatta International Airport.
He also did not explain who licensed the two to carry firearms.
The chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Administration of
Justice and Legal Affairs, Mr Paul Muite, singled out Mr Michuki as
a stumbling block to exposing the truth about the Armenian brothers.
The Kabete MP said during their initial investigations on the The
Standard newspaper raid, Mr Michuki wrote a letter with an intent to
prevent police commissioner Hussein Ali and CID director Joseph Kamau
from appearing before the committee, arguing that he had answered
all the questions needed.
“Michuki put hurdles in the committee’s work when it demanded to
question the police commissioner and CID director,” the MP said.
Former director of public prosecutions, Mr Philip Murgor, asked the
President to set up a commission of inquiry to get to the bottom of
the Artur brothers’ saga.
In Mombasa, Immigration assistant minister Annaniah Mwaboza demanded
immediate verification of a container’s contents.
Verify container’s content
Mr Mwaboza said Kenyans want to know what merchandise the two brothers
were bringing into the country, especially after they refused to have
the cargo verified.
Last week, Mr Margaryan went to the port accompanied by several
bodyguards and tried to have the container released to him. But
Customs officials insisted that it must be scanned. He then left in
a huff. But Mr Mwaboza defended the deportation arguing the move was
carried out in the interest of the country.
Other reports indicate that the cargo was under a 24-hour police
watch after attempts by the deported brothers to have the container
cleared from the port without going through the normal processes.
Mvita MP Najib Balala said the decision by the Government to deport
the two Armenian brothers was a cover-up, to save them from arrest
and prosecution.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
