ARTUR – WE WERE HIRED TO ‘TAKE OUT’ LEADERS
Douglas Okwatch And Francis Openda
The East African Standard (Nairobi), Kenya
April 12, 2007
Mr Artur Margaryan, who Interpol describes as an international fugitive
on the run, has for the first time hinted that there was an attempt
by prominent politicians to hire him for a ‘criminal’ undertaking.
And Lang’ata MP Raila Odinga – who first blew the lid on the Artur
brothers claiming they were assassins for hire -told Parliament that
the fugitives were back and had even visited the State Lodge, Nakuru.
Mr Artur Margaryan, the fugitive whom Interpol says is an international
crook on the run, outside the Runda house in Nairobi where he lived
with his alleged brother, Artur Sargsyan, in this file picture.
Interestingly, the Government added another twist to the Artur saga
by stating that it would not release the Kiruki Commission report on
the two alleged brothers due to national security considerations.
Talking to The Standard on phone – a conversation we recorded –
Margaryan said he was not in Kenya but in Sri Lanka from where he’ll
soon release to the international press his intended book on their
exact mission in Kenya.
Margaryan claimed to possess incontrovertible evidence of how some
senior politicians in Government tried to conscript them for a
criminal act.
"My partner and I were approached. We were to be paid lots of money
as agents and there was a target. But it was a criminal act," was the
damning admission that could for the first time lend credence to the
widely held theory about the real reason Margaryan, and his alleged
sibling, Artur Sargsyan came to the country.
A top Government official, who Margaryan says he has named in his
upcoming kiss-and-tell book, The Arturs X-Files, approached the
Armenians, dropped the name of a person to be taken out and a price,
which the alleged Armenian refuses to talk about.
"(The transaction) is all on tape and forms ‘Part I’ of my book,
which you will read very soon. His voice is very clear so it’s easy
to know who is speaking to me," Margaryan said in his self-confession.
All in recorded
The tape, he says, is just one of a number recorded during their stay
in the country. Their Runda residence was the venue of high society
parties and other high profile meetings with people said to have
Government links.
"You can hear how he’s asking me and my partner to help him, but
it’s a criminal act," says the alleged Armenian, who returned to the
limelight with media reports, exclusively published by The Standard,
that he was writing a book that would expose some of President Kibaki’s
ministers as bribe-takers.
When Miss Winnie Wangui Mwai followed it up with an interview with a
local FM radio station in which she bared it all about her love for
the glitzy Armenian – whose Rambo-like figure betrays his business
executive and investor posturing – the Armenians had literally
returned.
This could be the basis of the claim by Raila in Parliament that the
Artur brothers had twice been spotted in the country.
"They were seen in Mombasa and were even at the State House, Nakuru,"
Raila said.
The Arturs once tried dragging Raila down the gutter with claims that
they had given him money "to sort out some girlfriend problems".
Revenge
Believed to have been acting at the behest of some powerful individuals
in Government, from whom they enjoyed protection, the motive of this
latest mystifying twist in the Artur saga can only be a subject of
speculation, which could include a major falling out that may have
set them on a revenge path.
Raila, who claimed the Arturs were mercenaries hired by Government
operatives to assassinate opposition politicians, first exposed the
presence of Margaryan and his alleged brother Sargsyan in the country.
Margaryan named an MP as the man their paymasters wanted them to
assassinate "using our Dubai links". Margaryan then volunteered to
play us the tape of the transaction.
Also for the first time, he told us how the Government official, who
he says was working in cahoots with a Nairobi businessman of Asian
extract, promised to pay them for a repertoire of dangerous jobs,
including forgery and subterfuge.
After a series of denials by Cabinet ministers of Raila’s claims,
matters came to a head when one of the Artur brothers pulled a gun
at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport demanding to be let through
without inspection.
National security threat
Police later raided their home in Runda, Nairobi, where they discovered
guns, bullets, communication equipment, jungle fatigues and other
gadgets.
It was at the Kiruki Commission, which investigated their activities,
that Wangui was unmasked as the person who smoothed their way at the
airport, where they once held a press conference at the VIP lounge.
The lounge is reserved for dignitaries and State guests.
The commission was told that the two, who claimed to be from Armenia,
were criminals wanted for offences in other countries.
Officially, Margaryan was deported last year alongside his alleged
brother, Sargsyan, for their criminal activities while in the country.
However, Margaryan boasted that he was never deported but was flown
out in First Class to a destination of his own choice.
On Wednesday, the Government stated it would not release the Kiruki
Commission report on the two Armenian brothers due to national
security considerations.
Internal Security assistant minister, Mr Peter Munya, dismissed
Raila’s claims as "wild allegations", adding that the Lang’ata MP
"is always dreaming of State House".
But Raila maintained that it is public knowledge that the Armenian
brothers are back and are enjoying State protection.
Biggest scandal
The matter arose after a question by Ndhiwa MP, Mr Orwa Ojode, (Narc),
asking when the Government would release the Kiruki Commission report
on the two Armenian brothers presented to the President last year.
Describing the Artur brothers’ saga as one of the biggest scandals of
the Narc Government, Raila said a lot of taxpayers’ money was spent
in the probe and members were justified to demand that the Kiruki
Commission report be made public.
Munya told angry MPs that the Government has studied the contents and
the recommendations of the report and making it public would not be
in the best interest of the country’s security.
"It contains matters on the country’s immigration centres, airport
security and clearance, which would best be handled internally by
the concerned organs instead of being made public," he said.
But unsatisfied with Munya’s answer Ojode said the Government was
not being genuine but instead wanted to hide something from Kenyans.
"Mr Speaker Sir, the hearing was heard in public and funded by
taxpayer’s money and evidence received so I wonder what is confidential
about the report?" he asked.
Terrorists on hire
The MP said the presence of the two in the country caused a disaster,
which led to the sacking of eight police officers and senior Government
officials.
He cheekily added: "What is so confidential yet one of them is going
to marry the daughter of the biggest man in the land. Will this also
be done confidentially?"
Ojode said eight police officers and senior Government officials
among them, Ms Naomi (Cidi), were sacked following the debacle at
the airport.
"These were terrorists on hire and we cannot accept this," he said.
Bumula MP Bifwoli Wakoli (Narc) said claims that the two were out to
assassinate key political figures could be true, which could be why
the Government is not keen on releasing the report.
Responding, Munya said he would not engage in speculation but
maintained that the report would not be released as this would
jeopardise national security, and the matter would better be handled
by the relevant security organs.
He said the Commissions of Inquiry Act does not stipulate that all
reports be made public as some can be used to advice the Government
on measures to take on certain issues.
More questions
Attempts by Bobasi MP Stephen Manoti (Ford-People) to have Munya
give the amount spent on the probe failed after Munya said this was
not part of the original question and the MP should bring a separate
question so that he could provide the figure.
He said he could also only give the names of those sacked and the
reasons for their sacking if Manoti filed a separate question.
Munya said those sacked were not innocent and had facilitated breach
of security at the airport.
The Shadow Security Minister Joseph Nkaissery (Kanu) said the breach of
security at the airport and the subsequent sacking of police officers
should not be treated as a national security issue and used to withhold
information from the public.
He said it is the Government’s duty to ensure the safety and protection
of all its citizens and where it fails it should not hide under the
cover of national security but instead make the findings public.
Deputy Speaker David Musila had to contend with numerous points of
order and supplementary questions from angry members but he had to
bring the matter to an end so as to give time to the other questions
on the Order Paper.