The Nation, Kenya
April 21 2007
Yes, I met Michuki, says Margaryan
Story by OWINO OPONDO and BERNARD NAMUNANE
Publication Date: 4/21/2007
One of the Artur brothers yesterday spoke of a secret hotel meeting
with Internal Security minister John Michuki but denied seeking
protection from him.
Mr Artur Margaryan outside his rented house in Runda, Nairobi, before
he and his alleged brother were kicked out of the country. Photo/FILE
However, Mr Michuki denied such a meeting took place and dared Ndhiwa
MP Orwa Ojodeh to repeat claims of the meeting outside Parliament so
that he (Mr Michuki) could take up the matter in a court of law.
The exchange over the Artur brothers saga continued as pressure
mounted on the Government to release the Kiruki Commission report so
that the truth about the two alleged businessmen could be known.
Yesterday, Mr Artur Margaryan claimed that the meeting took place at
Mr Michuki’s Windsor Golf and Country Club but it was "purely to
discuss business" and had nothing to do with a deal to get protection
from the minister.
"He (Michuki) called me to Windsor and showed me an open space next
to the golf club where he proposed I, together with my other
brothers, could built rental apartments. The entire project would
cost $3 million," Mr Margaryan said.
Business proposal
He went on: "There was nothing criminal with that. It was merely a
business proposal. I will tell you again, and put it in my statement:
Your MP (Ojodeh) is telling a lie. My life is not that cheap so as to
be protected at a cost of $3 million. I have protection from God."
Mr Ojodeh had on Thursday told Parliament that Mr Michuki had sought
$3 million (Sh210 million) as protection fee from the Armenians.
Yesterday, Mr Michuki denied knowing Mr Margaryan or his alleged
brother, Mr Artur Sargsyan.
But in a telephone interview with the Saturday Nation from a location
he claimed to be Colombia, the alleged Armenian said he was once
called by Mr Michuki to his Windsor Club to negotiate a business
deal.
Although Mr Margaryan said he recorded the conversation of the
alleged meeting with Mr Michuki, he denied giving a copy of the tape
to Mr Ojodeh.
"I even don’t know that MP (Ojodeh) and I have never met him. I don’t
know who gave him that CD. The full story of my meeting with Mr
Michuki will be in my book to be launched on May 14 in Dubai. I will
send you a copy," he said.
Mr Ojodeh on Thursday tabled a compact disc in Parliament, claiming
it contained a conversation of the Artur-Michuki meeting at Windsor.
Deputy Speaker David Musila directed the CD be placed in the custody
of the Clerk to the National Assembly, and that he will make a ruling
on it once its authenticity or otherwise is established.
Mr Ojodeh also tabled what he claimed to be a copy of the report of
the Commission of Inquiry appointed last June by President Kibaki to
investigate the activities of the Armenian brothers, but Mr Musila
rejected it, saying it was not signed.
MPs had extended the sitting of the House to discuss a question by Mr
Ojodeh seeking to know when the Government will release the Kiruki
Commission report.
It was the second time in as many weeks that the issue was being
discussed. When it was first raised, Internal Security assistant
minister Peter Munya told MPs that the Government will not release
the report because of security considerations.
Parliament was told that the report touched on security matters such
as the airport, the Kenya Revenue Authority, and Customs.
On Thursday, Mr Munya’s colleague in the ministry, Mr Joseph Kingi,
repeated the answer, and challenged MPs to go to court if they wanted
the report released. Several Opposition MPs demanded the release of
the report, arguing that public money had been spent on the Kiruki
Commission which held its meetings in public.
Chaired by former Police Commissioner Shedrack Kiruki, the team
conducted sessions at Nairobi’s Kenyatta International Conference
Centre and took testimonies from witnesses, including Mr Michuki and
top police officers and civil servants.
The commission later presented its report containing its findings and
recommendations to President Kibaki during a ceremony at the State
House on August 28 last year. The report has not been made public.
Yesterday, Mr Ojodeh dismissed Mr Michuki’s denials and threats to
sue, saying the CD recordings he tabled in Parliament should be
played in public to prove who was speaking the truth.
Mr Ojodeh said: "Why don’t we play the CD which I tabled in
Parliament and hear what Artur says. Mr Michuki should not be talking
about me; he should be focussing on the Armenians," said the MP.
In a two-page statement signed by Internal Security public relations
officer Kariuki Kinyanjui, Mr Michuki was categorical that he had
never dealt with the Artur brothers.
"The minister never had any personal contact or meetings with the
Armenians during their controversial stay in the country," he stated.
He described as malicious the allegations by Mr Ojodeh that he
demanded Sh210 million ($3 million) as protection fee. It was wrong,
he said, for MPs to use parliamentary privilege to settle personal
scores and spread propaganda which in the due course injured the
reputations of their colleagues.
"The minister dares Hon. Ojodeh to repeat the malicious claims
outside Parliament and legal action would be taken against him
immediately. The information presented in Parliament yesterday
(Thursday) is not only grossly incorrect but also misleading and
cannot pass the lowest test of credibility. One can only conclude
that it was based on rumours and hearsay," the statement said.
Mr Michuki also dismissed claims that he was the minister at the
centre of an alleged plot to assassinate Baringo Central MP Gideon
Moi. He said police have launched investigations into the matter
published on Monday by sections of the media in order to unearth the
truth.
"Hon. Michuki takes great exception to claims that he was the
minister at the centre of an alleged plot to kidnap and possibly
assassinate Baringo Central MP Hon Gideon Moi," he said.
Yesterday, religious leaders and lawyers urged President Kibaki to
urgently release the Kiruki report to tame the tide of public anxiety
and allegations surrounding the Artur brothers saga.
The Law Society of Kenya asked the Government to make the report
public and end the stream of rumours.
LSK chairman Mr Eric Mogeni said: "The Government should release the
report in the spirit of free flow of information. It has become more
urgent in view of the rumours and allegations surrounding the
findings on the two Armenians."
Causing fear
In Mombasa, the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) and
the Muslims for Human Rights (Muhuri) lobby groups called for the
immediate release of the report, saying the continued withholding of
the report was causing fear and anxiety among Kenyans on the identity
of the so-called mercenaries and their mission in Kenya.
Sheikh Khalifa Mohammed, CIPK organising secretary, said Kenyans had
a right to know what the commission found out.
"This is an issue of national interest and people have been eagerly
awaiting for the report to know what exactly has been happening
concerning the Arturs," he said.
The Anglican Church of Kenya said millions of taxpayers’ money was
used to fund the Kiruki report in order to unearth the mystery behind
the two Armenians. It was wrong, said Bishop Lawrence Dena, for the
Government to seek refuge in State security and decline to make
public the findings.
Additional reporting by Abdulsamad Ali