RAILA: ARTUR IS BACK
By Cyrus Ombati and Ayub Savula
Standard, Kenya
Nov 14 2006
Lang’ata MP Raila Odinga has sensationally claimed that one of
the Artur brothers is back in the country as part of a hit squad
assembled to complete "the unfinished business of assassinating top
ODM-Kenya leaders".
"One of them is back to complete their unfinished dirty business,"
the MP charged shortly before recording a statement at Kilimani Police
Station, Nairobi, on Monday.
The MP also named eight prominent personalities he claimed are
co-plotters in a "conspiracy" to take out the Opposition politicians
ahead of next year’s General Election.
He named one of the Artur brothers, a senior Cabinet minister, a
Member of Parliament for a Nairobi constituency, a political activist,
a senior police officer, two unfamiliar people and a recently retired
senior police officer.
Video footage showing the meetings took place
Raila said Good Samaritans present at the meeting gave him the list –
which reads like who is who in the Armenian brothers’ saga.
Lang’ata MP Raila Odinga with ODM-Kenya leaders Mr Musalia Mudavadi
(left), Mr Mutula Kilonzo (centre) and Mr Orwa Ojode after recording
a statement on assassination claims in Nairobi on Monday. Picture by
Jacob Otieno
And the intrigues around the assassination claims deepened late
Monday when independent police sources disclosed "the politicians
could actually be in possession of video footage showing the meetings
to plan the alleged killings actually took place".
An agitated Raila said: "Early this year, I said there were mercenaries
in the country and some people laughed, even mocked me. I went further
and directed them to the house in Runda where they lived. They were
found, but what did the Government do? They had better also take me
seriously on this one…
"Present at the secret meeting were very senior people in Government
and a person resembling one of the mercenaries supposedly expelled
from this country.
"We have concrete evidence that the purpose of the meeting was to
hatch a plan to assassinate some top ODM-Kenya leaders to weaken
the Opposition".
International criminals on the run
If Raila’s allegations are true, then Kenyans have cause to worry
as this would imply senior Government officers – some specifically
tasked with the country’s security – are breaking the law.
Artur Margaryan and Artur Sargasyan, both believed to be international
criminals on the run, were reportedly deported by the Government last
June 9 – and declared persona non grata – after a gun drama at the
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
The deportation marked the height of an acrimonious sojourn in
Kenya that wound up with a commission of inquiry into their conduct,
activities and associates.
But the Shedrach Kiruki-led commission of inquiry amounted to nothing
other than a public relations exercise gone awry after it failed to
summon key personalities believed to have important information.
They included Raila and Mwingi North MP, Mr Kalonzo Musyoka, both of
whom were ready to tell what they knew about the fugitives.
As Raila reeled out the names in an exclusive interview with The
Standard on Monday just hours before appearing before the Nairobi Area
CID boss, Mr Isaiah Osugo, he warned that he should be taken seriously.
Team constituted to investigate the matter
He told police to investigate individuals implicated in the plot. The
latest meeting by the plotters was allegedly held in Kilimani last
week, said Raila.
Osugo later briefed Police Commissioner, Maj-Gen Hussein Ali, on the
contents of the recorded statement.
A team of police officers is understood to have been constituted late
Monday to investigate the matter.
Raila was accompanied by ODM-Kenya leaders Mr Musalia Mudavadi,
Mr Uhuru Kenyatta, Mr Mutula Kilonzo, Mr Otieno Kajwang’, Mr Reuben
Ndolo, Mr Paddy Ahenda, Mr Orwa Ojode and Mr Gideon Ndambuki.
Others were Mr Gor Sunguh, lawyers Mr Peter Maanzo, Mr Amolo Otiende
and Mr Tom Kajwang’. Mutula and Kajwang’ attended the one-hour
recording session at the Kilimani Police Station.
Uhuru and Ndambuki later left for a Kanu National Executive Committee
meeting.
The leaders had driven to Kilimani where Raila recorded the statement
at 10.30am. Addressing the Press after Raila recorded the statement,
Mutula complained the Government was harassing ODM-Kenya leaders.
Repeated summons to police stations
He said what they told the police was reliable, and asked for action
on the information.
"We did this in pursuance of and belief in law and order. However,
we are unhappy with the continuous harassment (against us) by police,"
he said.
He said ODM-Kenya leaders were being harassed by repeated summons to
police stations, and demanded they be left alone. He also demanded
that Internal Security minister John Michuki be compelled to record
statements following his claims that his life was in danger.
Mutula said some Cabinet ministers should also be asked to record
statements with the police for "being involved in crime-related
incidents".
Michuki has repeatedly claimed his life is in danger following a
shooting incident outside his Kangema compound a fortnight ago. The
gunmen killed Michuki’s neighbour – a chief – in the incident that
later saw the entire local security team shuffled.
On Monday, Mutula said his client had recorded a statement as a
witness and not a suspect in the investigations.
Raila urged the Government to provide all ODM-Kenya leaders with
adequate security because their lives were in danger.