The Monitor (Kampala)
June 23, 2006
Posted to the web June 22, 2006

Uganda: Armenians Were Not Invited By State House

Frank Nyakairu
Kampala

THE controversial Armenian brothers who attended President Museveni’s
inauguration on May 12 were not officially invited by State House.

The two brothers, Artur Margaryan and Artur Sargaryan who were
deported from Kenya a fortnight ago however, told Daily Monitor on
Tuesday that they attended the inauguration as prospective investors.

"The President and State House totally have nothing to do with the
Armenian brothers even if they claim to have attended the
inauguration ceremony," the Presidential Press Secretary, Mr Onapito
Ekomoloit, said yesterday.

"The ceremony was by invitation and there is no way they could have
been on the list," he said adding "Even if we are desperate for
investors we cannot settle for people like that."

Kenya investigates

The Kenyan government has instituted an investigation into the
activities of the brothers who caused a gun scare at Jomo Kenyatta
International Airport.

Kenyan opposition claims the brothers were behind the raid on Kenya’s
Standard newspaper in March. Speaking to Daily Monitor from Dubai on
Tuesday, the brothers said they plan to relocate to Uganda and invest
in real estate.

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Margary said yesterday that he had $5 million in investment capital
for a real-estate business in Uganda. He said he came to Uganda at
the invitation of a friend who took him to Museveni’s inauguration.

"I was invited by a friend who had been invited," Margaryan said on
telephone. "I plan to start initiating business in Uganda next month
and it will mainly be in real-estate and import and export," he said.

The Armenian, said he was driving in Dubai city, said they had been
tortured in Kenya "so much that all Dubai major television networks
are documenting their suffering."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress