Daily Nation, Kenya
June 10, 2006
The incident that sparked police action
Story by NATION Reporter
Publication Date: 6/10/2006
The arrests were triggered by an incident at Jomo Kenyatta
International Airport, Nairobi, in which one of the brothers
allegedly assaulted a Customs officer, who blocked their way as they
left the airport.
Mr Sargsyan and a woman colleague had arrived from Dubai and were to
be received by a business tycoon and Mr Margaryan in a convoy of four
vehicles. The tycoon had made arrangements for the brothers to enter
the arrivals section and clear a consignment of closed-circuit TV
cameras and monitors, which had arrived from Dubai as unaccompanied
luggage.
It was not established why the brothers were allowed into the
international arrivals lounge with firearms. A licensed gun holder is
required to surrender it to the security who hold it until he leaves
the airport.
But, according to a source, Customs officers who inspected the
luggage had turned away a courier the brothers had sent to collect
the consignment, demanding that they pay duty for the equipment.
Demand for duty
The source said the Armenians demanded to know on whose order the
officers were demanding duty, and vowed not to pay it. Mr Margaryan
was said to have pushed the officers out of the way and walked out,
saying that their bags were never searched.
Sources said their aide then grabbed the bags, placed them on a
trolley and pushed it out as Mr Margaryan drew a gun and threatened
to shoot anyone who dared block their way out of the airport.
A minister’s bodyguard who happened to be at the airport, also drew a
gun and dared Mr Margaryan to shoot. The Armenian put his gun back
into the holster and walked out.
Another Customs officer who tried to stop them was hit and injured by
one of the brothers before they walked to the main exit, jumped onto
waiting vehicles and sped out of the airport.
Police commissioner Hussein Ali summoned airports police boss
Beatrice Nduta to his Vigilance House office to find out how the
brothers and the businessman had driven out of the airport without
being intercepted.
The four-vehicle convoy left the airport past armed General Service
Unit officers and passed road-blocks on their way to Runda.