Author: Topchian Jane

The Standard, Kenya
July 1 2006

Mystery of foreign impostors grows deeper

By PATRICK MATHANGANI and BIKETI KIKECHI

Real estate businessman Raju Sanghani took the witness box yesterday
morning on the third day of Shedrach Kiruki’s Commission of Inquiry
sitting.

He told the Commission the story of how he was first introduced to
the Artur brothers as Arthur and James in Dubai and how he finally
hosted them in Kenya.

The following are excerpts from yesterday’s sitting:

Dorcas: You have admitted that you are the one who introduced them to
Hon Kalonzo Musyoka. Apart from him, who else did you introduce them
to?

Sanghani: Introduced them to many people like; the lawyer and many
business friends. You see, like when we go to a restaurant for
example and we meet some people.

Dorcas: So is it right if I say that you introduced them to some
significant people in the country and you also introduced them to
some others?

Sanghani: If you can be more specific…

Dorcas: You also introduced them to other people? So if someone came
here and said I was introduced to these people by Mr Sanghani that
would be correct?

Sanghani: In the business world…

Dorcas: That’s what I’m saying, if somebody came here who is a
businessman in Nairobi and say that I did not know these people but
were introduced to me by Mr Sanghani that would be correct.

Sanghani: It could be. Not everybody but some of them.

Dorcas: Now, this commission is concerned with their dealings in this
country, and I would like you to tell us what was your business in
Kenya?

Sanghani: As I said, I was looking for a business opportunity and an
opening when I first met them. It was not me who brought them here. I
want to verify that. It was Mr Zakir who brought them to Kenya and I
was introduced to the Artur brothers by Zakir. I saw some potential
in business, especially in the property line and I was basically
trying to see if I could take an opportunity and if I could get into
business.

Dorcas: So in the cause of the introduction, you introduced them as
who?

Sanghani: As I said, when Zakir introduced me to them he said they
were his business friends and they are from the royal family in
Armenia?

Dorcas: While in Dubai, did they take you to any of their investments
– to show you their factories whatever, whatever?

Sanghani: Yes they did. They took me to one of their steel factories.
Then they took me to some of their properties. They didn’t show me
any titles. They looked like people with resources.

Dorcas: I want to show you a business card. And I want you to
sincerely tell the commission if you came across this card and if you
met somebody with this name when in Dubai or Kenya (shows him the
card).

Sanghani: Yes Hon commissioners, I have seen a card like this.

Dorcas: Go back to the photographs I gave you this morning. This is
Arthur Gervokyan?

Sanghani: I didn’t realise I mean… I had seen the card, but I didn’t
realise the second name… sorry but…

Dorcas: But you remember the second passport I was talking about
belongs to somebody Gevorkyan?

Sanghani: Yes

Dorcas: If you look at the email, it is [email protected]

Sanghani? Yes it is.

Dorcas: So, is it right if we say the name Artaq is also associated
with these people?

Sanghani: I believe so.

Dorcas: Now in this card, they were doing business in the style of
brothers’ group of companies. Correct? Did you visit the headquarters
of this group of companies?

Sanghani: Yeah, but can I clarify my position here? I had this card;
I think I must even be having one. I have never called this number I
didn’t see any need to. I always used to deal with Zakir.

Dorcas: Do you know anything about (the) brothers’ group of
companies?

Sanghani: Not really . They showed me a few factories. I did not see
any sign of (the) brothers’ group of companies.

Dorcas: After what you have told us this morning, and apart from the
press release, there is really no evidence that you disassociated
yourself from the dealing of these people.

Sanghani: All I can say is that I have not worked on their properties
after March. After my statement, I have not undertaken to… last I did
for them the housing scheme they wanted to put up in Mlolongo.

Dorcas: But you realise they still had your cars, you were still
paying rent on their behalf…

Sanghani: I’m not saying I was paying the rent. They used to give the
owner a banker’s cheque.

Dorcas: So how would you describe your relationship with them?

Sanghani: As I said, I was looking… they wanted to build 3,000
houses. I wanted to become their agent, definitely like anybody else
could have. There were lots of estate agents who were actually
campaigning to get this project. So I just put it on hold and said
once it gets off the ground, I was ready to talk to them.

Dorcas: Of all the business ventures that you discussed, did any of
them materialise?

Sanghani: Lots of things happened in between, they were called names…
they were involved in so many other things so I just backed out.
There were also dealings with other agents… many other business
people besides me.

Dorcas: What was happening in the house? You went there once or
twice? Did anyone complain about any dealings in that house?

Sanghani: Not really. Somebody called our office to say there were a
lot of dogs and they were disturbing them at night.

Dorcas: How many people were living in that house?

Sanghani: I only used to go when this gentleman was in town. I never
even discussed any dealings with the so-called James or Margaryan. I
know like two of them and two of their brothers.

The commission resumes on Monday.

PRESS RELEASE
Two Cats Productions
Contact: Joy F. Noel
(212) 929 2085
[email protected]

TH E ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO AIR ON FRENCH TV

New York, NY (June, 2006) — The Armenian Genocide, by Andrew
Goldberg, which received international critical acclaim and aired
nationally on PBS in the US has been licensed to PLANETE Television in
France () for national broadcast. It was also
licensed to Swedish Television. Airdates for both networks have not
yet been announced.

The film received extraordinary reviews and coverage in almost every
major newspaper in the US including The New York Times where it was
described as powerful adding that it honors the victims of the
Genocide. It was also covered in the Wall Street Journal, The LA
Times, The Boston Globe and countless others. The NJ Star Ledger
called it serious, literate and ultimately heartbreaking. The Weekly
Standard described it as evocative and visually rich. In addition the
film has sold internationally to major networks in Canada, Australia,
Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Finland and other countries. Narrated
by Julianna Margulies, the film features additional narrations from Ed
Harris, Natalie Portman, Orlando Bloom, Laura Linney, Paul Rudd, Jared
Leto and others.

The Armenian Genocide is the story of the first Genocide of the 20th
century when over a million Armenians died at the hands of the Ottoman
Turks during World War I. This unprecedented and powerful one-hour
documentary, scheduled to air April 17th on PBS, was written, directed
and produced by Emmy Award-winning producer Andrew Goldberg of Two
Cats Productions, in association with Oregon Public Broadcasting.

Featuring interviews with the leading experts in the field such as
Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Samantha Power, and New York Times
best-selling author, Peter Balakian, this film features
never-before-seen historical footage of the events and key players of
one of the greatest untold stories of the 20th century.

Filmed in the US, France, Germany, Belgium, Turkey and Syria, the
program features discussions with Kurdish and Turkish citizens in
modern-day Turkey who speak openly about the stories told to them by
their parents and grandparents.

Two Cats Productions is a documentary production company in New York
City led by Andrew Goldberg. His television credits include PBS, ABC
News, E!, CNN, and countless others. In addition to documentaries, he
has also written and produced commercials for such companies as Bell
South, Sephora/Louis Vuitton, AT&T and PetSmart. Goldberg and Two Cats
recent documentary productions include, A Yiddish World Remembered for
PBS which won an Emmy in 2002, and The Armenians, A Story of Survival,
which aired on PBS stations nationally in 2002 and was awarded the
CINE Golden Eagle.

Major Underwriters: John and Judy Bedrosian, The Avanessians Family
Foundation, and The Manoogian-Simone Foundation.

Home Video Available: DVD or VHS at
Photos for The Armenian Genocide are available online at
pressroom.pbs.org and

##

"ONE NATION, ONE CULTURE" FESTIVAL HAS NO AIM TO TURN INTO A PROFESSIONAL REVIEW," RA PRESIDENT’S ASSISTANT VIGEN SARGSIAN SAYS

Noyan Tapan
Jun 29 2006

YEREVAN, JUNE 29, NOYAN TAPAN. "The "One Nation, One Culture" second
All Armenian Cultural Festival has no aim to turn into a professional
review. Our goal was to bring to Armenia the Armenian cultural groups
functioning in different colonies of the Diaspora, for them to get
to know their national culture, as well as their homeland better." RA
President’s Assistant Vigen Sargsian declared this at the concluding
conference of the "One Nation, One Culture" festival held on June
29 at the National Academy of Sciences of RA. According to him,
Armenia should undertake all possible measures for preservation of the
Armenian nation in the Diaspora, for strengthening the Armenia-Diaspora
contacts.

According to V.Sargsian, they are already discussing the issue that
not only amateurish groups, but also solo performers, professional
groups known all over the world can take part in the "One Nation,
One Culture" third All Armenian Cultural Festival.

V.Sargsian also said that "Armenia-Spyurk" forum will be held in
September in Armenia and the fourth Pan Armenian Games will be held in
2007. According to him, the retraining courses of Diasporan teachers
organized in Armenia every year have a special importance, as the
Armenian language cannot preserve in Spyurk without these teachers.

RA Minister of Culture and Youth Affairs Hasmik Poghosian, Executive
Director of the "One Nation, One Culture" Foundation Tamar Poghosian,
as well as Diasporan intellectuals took part in the conference.

According to the participants of the festival, though the festival
had some shortcomings, they are impressed and inspired. "We had
many difficulties but I hope these shortcomings will be taken into
consideration and will be organized at a higher level at the next
festivals," representative of the Austrian Armenian community Levon
Demirian said.

BI LINE COMPANY TRANSLATES WINDOWS XP OF MICROSOFT CORPORATION INTO ARMENIAN

Yerevan, June 29. ArmInfo. By the order of MICROSOFT corporation,
BI LINE, one of the leading IT companies of Armenia, will complete
translation of WINDOWS XP into Armenian. Rouben Avagian, technical
director of BI LINE, informed ArmInfo about this.

He said that the sides signed an agreement in July, 2005, adding
that at present the BI Line experts and 60 experts from other IT
companies have already elaborated the translation of the terms’
dictionaries from English. He said that initially, the dictionaries
were represented at the BI LINE site to involve the various circles
of specialists in the translation. Avagian said that the BI LINE
specialists translate the rest of the WINDOWS XP system components.

"UNION FOR ARMENIA" DOES NOT EXCLUDE COOPERATION WITH ANY OTHER PARTY

ArmRadio.am
30.06.2006 16:18

The "Union for Armenia" Party is going to have an important place in
the National Assembly to be formed in 2007, member of the People’s
Deputy group Vahram Baghdasaryan assured today. In the fall the Party
will hold a sitting, and then it will become clear how they are going
to participate in the elections – within a block or alone.

Secretary of the People’s Deputy group, member of the initiating
group of the "Union for Armenia" Party Vahram Baghdasaryan urges the
journalists and political forces not to be troubled about the fate
of the "Union for Armenia" Party.

According to Vahram Baghdasaryan, currently the Party has about 30
thousand members. This was the firs time the number of the adherents
of the Party was made public.

Turning to the most burning issue of the recent days – the statement
of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs – member of the People’s Deputy
group noted that opening the cards in the middle of the process means
that the Co-Chairs are in a stress, and the settlement of the Karabakh
issue will be further protracted.

Mr. Baghdasaryan is confident that the decisive resolution of the
Karabakh issue will suggest serious changes in the domestic life of
Armenia. Vahram Baghdasaryan remarked that still from 1988 the shifts
of power have been connected just with this issue. Therefore, today
he called on the political forces not to make the Karabakh issue a
matter of their intrigues. Vahram Baghdasaryan does not see the rapid
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

RUSSIANS ARE FOR CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
Karine Asatryan

A1+
[06:39 pm] 28 June, 2006

"Unfortunately, the majority of the Russians think capital punishment
must be preserved", said Chairman of the Council of Federation of
the RF Parliament Sergey Mironov.

According to Mironov, the Russians condition this by the cruel activity
of the terrorists, especially during the Beslan tragedy. "But the 10th
moratorium must be turned into a by-law after which the 6th protocol
must be ratified", the Russian official said after the meeting with
the PACE President. Let us remind you that the 6th protocol of the
Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
demands abolishment of the death penalty.

According to the Chairman of the Council of Federation, even if they
have the necessary amount of votes in the Parliament to ratify the
6th Protocol, "they realize the sentiments of the majority of the
TF citizens". According to Mironov, there is still much to be done
before the ratification of the protocol abolishing death penalty.

Let us remind you that the RF has been member of the CoE for ten
years now.

SUMMER ADVENTURES OF THE ARMENIANS IN STRASBOURG
Margaret Yesayan

Aravot.am
27 June 06

The PACE summer session was opened in Strasbourg yesterday. The
delegation of Armenia; Tigran Torosian /the head of delegation/,
Stepan Demirchian, Artashes Geghamian, Armen Roustamian and Hermine
Naghdalian is in Strasbourg since Sunday and participates in the
works of the session.

SESSION BY DEMIRCHIAN

The member of the PACE sub commission of cultural heritage, PPA leader,
the head of "Justice" bloc Stepan Demirchian raised again the questions
of protection of New Jugha historical-cultural monuments. It has been
decided since the PA previous session that the representatives of the
commission must visit the region, to be introduced to the examples of
vandalism on the spot but that visit was being constantly postponed
for unknown reasons. It was assued during the sitting yesterday that
the delegation would visit the region soon.

Stepan Demirchian has informed that all necessary documents have
been introduced, the members of the commission are informed enough,
they must simply come and assure on the spot. One of the members of
the commission has been interested from the delegate of Azerbaijan
whether the security of delegation will be guaranteed in the territory
of Karabakh. The Azerbaijani delegate, glancing at Stepan Demirchian
has said; "Why do you ask me, ask Armenia." Stepan Demirchian promised;
"I’m sure that the authorities of Karabakh will guaranteed for the
security of everybody."

SESSION BY GEGHAMIAN

The head of "National Unity" fraction Artashes Geghamian taking part
in the sitting of the PA group of the European Christian-democratic
and European people’s parties round the work of Armenian delegation
in PACE yesterday counterattacked the member of Azerbaijani delegation
Mrs. Hajieva.

Issues on the commissions of the Azerbaijani delegation have been
discussed during the sitting, and Mrs. Hajieva has devoted the main
time of her speech to Armenians, as it is usual and declared again
about Â"occupied territoriesÂ".

She has said that the Armenians are engaged in firing forests at the
length of those "occupied" territories. She has declared that she
has been informed about those fires by satellite connection. She has
proposed the PACE to be engaged in prevention of these crisis and very
serious fires. Artashes Geghamian has made his speech after her. First
of all he has congratulated Azerbaijan for becoming a Â"cosmic stateÂ"
taking into consideration the fact that they communicate thanks
to satellite connection and then he thanked Mrs. Hajieva that she
highly marks the Armenian science as she connects the high weather
temperature with the Armenians. Â"While the Armenian department of
state of emergency has rather realistic appraisal of fires, the reason
of fires is the high temperature though in case of those hard weather
conditions the Azerbaijani party doesn’t stop bombing of it artillery
addressed to the Armenian side though the document of mutual cease
fire signed more than a decade ago."

Artashes Geghamian counterattacked the Turkish delegates, too. The
head of Turkish delegation Mr. Merchan has proposed to adopt a draft
about violation of the rights of Muslims in the region during the
discussion of the issue of the freedom of the speech and religious
beliefs. In response to this proposal Artashes Geghamian has presented
the violation used against the Catholicos of the whole Armenians
in Istanbul.

SESSION BY TOROSIAN

The NA chairman, the head of delegation Tigran Torosian passed us
yesterday the following; Â"I can mention the matter of resignation
of the commissions of Azerbaijan among the issues discussed in the
sittings of the commissions. The Azerbaijanis produced 10 changes,
from which the commission only proved two editorial changes." The
Assembly has concluded that the major part in 14/80 resolutions
hasn’t been committed and it decided to return to this question in
spring session in 2007 when the question of honoring commissions of
Azerbaijan will be discussed. Tigran Torosian considered the point
of fires as a usual Azerbaijan slander and the latters will try to
activate on the last day of the session when there will be a special
report about fires of forests in the agenda.

As regards the "counterattacks" of our delegation Mr. Torosian said
that those were simply usual disputes in political groups in the
result of which no document or decision is made.

–Boundary_(ID_Zdcb1ccosdXMRDYBQOoGCA)–

CRIES OF WAKENESS FROM THE RA PRESIDENT’S RESIDENCE AND FM

A1+
[05:41 pm] 27 June, 2006

"The continuation of such actions from the Armenian side may put
the agreement signed in the framework of the "Millennium Challenge"
into peril," cited Alexander Arzoumanyan, ex Foreign Minister in his
addressing speech from the "Millennium Challenge" organization letter
addressed to President Kocharyan in club "Pastark".

In Arzoumanyan’s opinion the letter is a slap in RA President’s face,
"It testifies to the inaction of our authorities." In his words
OSCE Minsk group American Co-Chair Mettew Bryza’s announcement is
the continuation of the slap. "Today the authorities of the two
Armenian countries are busy with the reproduction of their power,
and the Kharabakh issue has become a stake in this context."

As for Mettew Bryza’s announcement Mr. Arzoumanyan finds it an attempt
to arouse a discord among the public on the Kharabakh matter. Such
an attempt was done by Levon Ter-Petrosyan which led to power change.

In order to understand the American Co-Chair’s announcement and
interview more clearly Arzoumanyan advised to observe it from the
point of view of the Armenian interior policy. "It is simply put
down that the RA President may visit Washington if he carries out
the democratic reforms which have already been carried out by Ilham
Aliyev." This means that like Aliyev Kocharian is to arrest 16 – 17
people among his acquaintances and start corruption combat the father
of embodiment of which is Kocharian himself. I don’t think Azerbaijan
is a democratic country and we must be compared with them. My concern
is that they speak to the Armenian President in that way and in that
language, "Go and stand on the same equal level with Aliyev to be
accepted in Washington."

"ROBERT KOCHARIAN DOESN’T WANT TO PASS HIS POWER TO SERGE SARGSYAN"

"You, journalists, have your share of blame in the current situation of
Armenia. Every day our authorities are accused and threatened whereas
you support them and present them as almighty people," Alexander
Arzoumanyan, ex Foreign Minister told the journalists today during
the press release.

In Arzoumayan’s opinion the inaction and irresponsibility of the
authorities is conditioned by the passiveness of the Opposition but
he also added, "There are people in the Opposition who claim that
there is chaos in the country all day long and they are ready to
give their votes to other people even to Serge Sargsyan instead of
Kocharian. That is what our authorities want."

Arzoumanyan noted that Robert Kocharian in not inclined to pass his
power to Serge Sargsyan.

"Kocharian’s steps testify to the reverse outcome.

Look at the activity of "Prosperous Armenia" Party and the barriers
put in front of oligarchs and officials who try to become members of
that party. This is a special grouping."

FIRES REACHED EUROPE

Lragir.am
26 June 06

If cases of fires are reported in the Azerbaijani areas controlled
by the Armenian forces, problems are reported in the settlement of
the conflict over Karabakh. Rene van der Linden, the president of
the PACE, made such a statement in a press conference in Strasbourg
on June 26. His press conference was devoted to the summer session of
the PACE. According to Rene van der Linden, the PACE Interim Committee
on Karabakh will raise the question of fires. The president of the
PACE criticized such actions on behalf of one of the conflict parties.

GAREGIN INSISTS ON GENOCIDE RECOGNITION IN TURKEY

Radio Liberty, Czech Republic
June 26 2006

The head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Garegin II, said in Istanbul
Sunday that Turks committed genocide against Armenians, a statement
that is likely to increase tensions during the last two days of his
weeklong visit to Turkey.

Garegin II, whose official title is Catholicos of All Armenians, has
been facing protests since his plane landed at the Istanbul airport
on Tuesday. The protesters included prominent lawyers from the Turkish
Lawyers’ Union, who previously pushed for the prosecution of novelist
Orhan Pamuk after he said that Turks had killed 1 million Armenians.

Turkey vehemently denies that the killing of Armenians by Ottoman
Turks around the time of World War I was genocide, and several cases
have been brought against those who say otherwise. The cases have
been opened under a law making it a crime to "insult Turkishness."

Armenians say that as many as 1.5 million of their ancestors were
killing in an organized genocidal campaign by Ottoman Turks, and have
pushed for recognition of the killings as genocide around the world.

Garegin II was unreceptive Sunday to Turkey’s requests that Turkey
and Armenia, which are neighbors but have no diplomatic relations,
open their historical archives to researchers from both countries
to try to ease tensions and reach an objective conclusion about the
killings. "For our people research is not an issue. This is something
that happened and it needs to be recognized," the Dogan news agency
quoted Garegin II as saying. "The genocide issue has been researched
for 90 years by academics."

Garegin II said the protests hadn’t affected him. "They didn’t break
my spirit and they don’t reflect my visit," he said. "But if these
kinds of protests continue, it shows that we have a lot of work so
that these two societies can live together."

(Armenian Apostolic Church photo: Garegin II, right, and Patriarch
Mesrob II, the spiritual leader of the Armenian community in Turkey,
pictured outside an Armenian church in Istanbul.)