The Nation, Kenya
April 13 2007
State Dismisses Claims On Artur Brothers
The Government yesterday strongly denied reports that the Artur
brothers were back in the country.
Government spokesman Alfred Mutua termed the reports attributed to
Langata MP Raila Odinga as malicious and cheap propaganda meant to
create confusion among Kenyans.
Addressing journalists during his weekly briefings in Nairobi, Dr
Mutua said Artur Sargysyan and Artur Margaryan who were deported last
year after a scuffle at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport had not
been to Nakuru and Mombasa State lodges as alleged.
Cheap propaganda
"The allegations that the brothers visited Nakuru and Mombasa state
lodges are malicious and cheap propaganda," he said.
The allegations, Dr mutua warned, were dangerous and could incite the
public against the government.
"All leaders should be accountable," he said.
The spokesman further took issue with graphics in yesterday’s Nation
showing the brothers pictures in front of State House saying it gave
a wrong impression to ordinary Kenyans that they were at State House.
Many Kenyans, he said, had little knowledge about graphics and would
take the pictures at face value. "They give a false sense," Dr Mutua
said adding that millions of Kenyans were unaware of graphic
techniques.
The Nation graphics, he said, had made some people call FM radio
stations to say it was true the Armenian brothers were in the
country.
On Wednesday, Mr Odinga surprised Parliament when he said the
controversial Armenian brothers had quietly returned to Kenya and had
been feted at State House, Nakuru.
Mr Odinga’s comments were immediately dismissed by State House as
"too ridiculous to deserve a comment."
In a phone call to media houses on Wednesday night, Mr Margaryan also
denied having set foot in Kenya since he left. Elsewhere, Immigration
minister Gideon Konchella appealed to anyone with information on the
presence of the Armenian brothers to give it to police.
But Mr Konchella said the State would not listen to politicians, whom
he termed liars.
Speaking to reporters at his office in Nairobi, Mr Konchella, himself
a politician, said as far as the Government was concerned, the "Artur
brothers" had been deported, and could only be here illegally.
He dismissed suggestions from reporters that investigators speak to
Mr Odinga, who broke the news of the presence of the brothers. He
said Mr Odinga was using the story for propaganda and incitement, and
would naturally lie.
"You cannot expect propaganda peddlers to tell you the truth. They
are bound to lie."
The minister was answering questions after releasing a government
statement dismissing the reports attributed to the Langata MP
indicating that the Artur brothers had sneaked back.
Mislead Kenyans
According to the statement, the reports that appeared in the media
yesterday were false and "intended to mislead Kenyans, erode public
confidence in the Government and create confusion."
While asking a supplementary question to another raised by Ndhiwa MP
Orwa Ojodeh, who wanted to know why the report of the Kiruki
Commission on the activities of the Arturs in Kenya had not been made
public, Mr Odinga told Parliament that the brothers were back,
enjoying State security and hospitality.
But yesterday Mr Konchella termed the allegations "ridiculous,
malicious and fabricated lies" and appealed to politicians to be
truthful.