Armenian gave fake name at port to clear goods

Kenya Times, Kenya
July 21 2006

Barely a day before the dramatic airport security stand-off , one of
the infamous Artur brothers had presented himself at the Kilindini
Port under a false name, seeking to have a container unprocedurally
released, a witness said yesterday.

The commission was told how one of the Artur brothers gave his name
as Alex at the Kilindini Port on June 7, 2006, and pressurised Customs
officials to release a container without verification.

The Armenian reportedly claimed that container had television sets
to be donated to destitute children’s homes.

He threatened to mobilise members of the public to march to the streets
and to also call the international media to ensure his ‘donation’
reached the needy.

The "burly and white" imposter was reported to be excessively rude
and disobeyed instructions from Customs officers.

However, a subsequent verification of the container revealed that
the value of its actual contents exceeded by far the description of
goods as declared in the importation papers. The duty declared in
the importation forms was barely a quarter of the payable tax.

Senior Deputy Commissioner of Customs Alphonse Ntogaiti Muronga
recounted the manner in which one of the Arturs had been referred
to his office by a junior Customs officer after he had refused to
pay duty.

"Acting Deputy Commissioner Julius Musyoka made a verbal report to
me that one of the Arturs was putting pressure on a junior officer
at Kilindini Port to release a container without verification,"
Muronga said.

He added: "the importer complained that his container had been at
the Port for over a month and should be released immediately without
verification. He also wanted to know why his container had been
targeted by the anti-smuggling police squad."

However, when told that it was mandatory for a full verification to
be done to confirm the container’s content, the Armenian claimed it
contained television sets meant for donation.

"I then told him to apply for exemption from the Treasury. But he
said he had no time for that," Muronga said.

The Armenian was then given three options which included letting the
container to be opened for full verification, re-export the container
out of the country or to abandon it all together, the witness said.

"He demanded to know why the 28 containers they had brought in the
past were never verified.

I replied that those 28 containers would be sought for verification
and where the goods had been disposed, port importation audit would
be carried out," Muronga said.

At this time the Armenian snapped, saying Kenya could not develop
with such bad laws and threatened to mobilise people in the streets
and to even call international press to "witness a country that would
never let donations reach its people."

It also emerged that Kenya Revenue Authority had since withdrawn the
PIN number of Marketing Bureau Services, the firm which cleared the
containers for Kensington Holdings Limited, rendering it malfunctional.

A director of the clearing and forwarding firm James Gitonga was
later called by the Customs Department after the meeting with "Alex"
to assist in the verification of the container.

"He complied, opened the container and full verification was conducted.

It was found that there was a serious under-estimation of the value
of goods.

The duty declared was a quarter of the payable tax," Muronga said.