The Standard, Kenya
July 1 2006

Impostors who lived like kings

By Biketi Kikechi and Patrick Mathangani

The offensive and sometimes arrogant lifestyle the Armenians lived
left a bad taste in the mouths of many.

It has now turned out that the Arturs were impostors who wanted to
impress with material things they did not work for.

In Dubai, they claimed to be engaged in steel milling and estate
development.

"They took me to a steel factory and other properties in Dubai," said
a witness, Raju Sanghani yesterday.

Sanghani, a Nairobi businessman, told the Kiruki Commission that they
drove him around in flashy cars in Dubai, just like they did here.

The brothers lived at the five-star Grand Regency Hotel in Nairobi
before moving to Runda, where they paid about Sh180, 000 in monthly
rent.

A printout from the Grand Regency Hotel shows that they enjoyed Super
Corporate Class 3A accommodation, paying Sh6, 435 per night, and
frequented the neighbouring Serena Hotel.

"They drove in Toyota Harriers and were escorted by the same make of
cars," said assisting counsel Dorcas Oduor during yesterday’s
hearing, at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi.

At one point, police questioned the ownership of all the 13 vehicles
that were in their possession.

They were merrymakers, who frequented Nairobi’s nightspots with a
bevy of local beauties.

Evidence so far adduced at the Commission shows that they not only
lived large, but also dined and wined like kings.

The Commission has established that they travelled on fake and stolen
passports, faked their identity and engaged in fraud.

Their modus operandi was to display huge amounts of cash in public,
perhaps to create panic or to enhance their status as "untouchables".

While in Dubai, they once splashed Sh37 million on a table and also
displayed Sh700,000 on TV for all and sundry to see.

According to Sanghani, the Artur’s also gave him Sh1.8m in cash.
Evidence shows that their work permits were processed in less than 48
hours.

The process included application, entry into registry, security
vetting by the National Security Intelligence Services and approval
by an inter-ministerial committee before notifying the applicant.