IT IS A COVER-UP, SAYS PARTY
By Ben Agina
Standard, Kenya
Aug. 31, 2006
Orange Democratic Movement of Kenya party luminary, Mr Raila Odinga
(right), reads a statement on the recently released Kiruki Commission
report at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi on Wednesday. Picture by
Tabitha Otwori
The Orange Democratic Movement has cried foul over the Kiruki Report,
branding it a "cover-up" as the Government again found itself on the
receiving end over its handling of the Artur brothers saga.
The party described the outcome of the investigation as a brazen
attempt at cleansing, then reinstating, pro-Government officers caught
up in the fiasco.
"It has to be stated from the onset that the report, as claimed to
have been extracted by (a local daily) is an attempt at a political
cleansing process and eliminates all faith we may have had in the
commission outcomes, in getting to the bottom of this most bizarre
case of national insecurity," they said in a statement read at a
press conference in Nairobi.
Overall, they said, the commissioners did not only bungle the probe,
they also wandered outside their mandate and served as instruments
to conceal the truth.
They roundly dismissed the commission, chaired by former Police
Commissioner Mr Shedrach Kiruki, as a public relations exercise gone
awry and a complete waste of taxpayers’ money.
Favourable slant
The MPs also took issue with the manner in which the report had been
"selectively" leaked to the Press. They claimed this could be part
of a wider scheme to water down the commission’s findings by giving
the report a "favourable slant".
The attack came less than 48-hours after the report on the bogus
Armenian brothers Artur Sargasyan and Artur Margaryan was handed over
to President Kibaki at State House, Nairobi.
On Wednesday, ODM-Kenya said the report was a "cover-up" and an attempt
to absolve suspended Criminal Investigations Department Director, Mr
Joseph Kamau, from blame in an affair that compromised State security.
ODM-Kenya said it confirmed fears and reservations of most people
about the commission. Addressing the Press at Parliament Buildings,
Nominated MP Mr Mutula Kilonzo – who led a team of ODM-Kenya leaders
that included MPs Mr Kalonzo Musyoka, Mr Raila Odinga, Mr William
Ruto, Mrs Julia Ojiambo and Mr Henry Kosgey – said the commission
deliberately omitted summoning key witnesses such as Kamau to testify.
He said the evidence adduced at the inquiry pointed to the complicity
of the suspended CID boss and his department.
Political cleansing
The report, Mutula noted, had not only absolved Kamau from blame,
it also recommended his reinstatement.
"This case is bound to consume both those who engineered the coming
of the Arturs and those who continue to cover up," he warned.
The ODM leaders charged that the Commissioner of Police had every right
under the Police Act to appoint whomever he pleased to investigate
claims that the Arturs were mercenaries hired by the Government to
assassinate ODM leaders.
The commissioner, they said, acted the way he did because he had lost
faith in the ability of Kamau to investigate the matter.
They said the report – whose excerpts were carried by a local daily –
was an attempt at political cleansing and banished any hope Kenyans
had that the commission would get to the bottom of the bizarre case.
They said the commission was a mere public relations exercise aimed at
"whitewashing of the devil", adding Kenyans were too intelligent to
be hoodwinked into believing the ruse.
"The Government, and particularly the Executive, must now own up and
deal with issues relating to the over-looking of the Interpol warnings
as attested to by police witnesses," said Mutula.
Criminal activities
The ODM leadership warned the report would neither deter nor cow
Kenyans from insisting on the principle of good governance that calls
upon those mentioned in the Arturs case to resign and allow for "real"
investigations by an independent body.
Reading from a book titled, Patriots and Profiteers by R T Naylor,
published in 1999, Lang’ata MP Raila Odinga said the Arturs had been
mentioned as international criminals.
"These are known international criminals. Interpol gave the Kenya
police the same information when they sought their help," the MP said.
Raila said the Government had information about the criminal activities
of the Arturs yet Internal Security minister Mr John Michuki defended
them in Parliament as investors.
Raila said that instead of the minister arresting the duo, he
deported them to defeat investigation. The former Roads minister
said the information on the Artur brothers was given to Mr Kamau,
who failed to act on it.
He claimed the suspended CID boss had on several occasions visited
the home of the Arturs in Runda and yet he was not summoned to give
evidence.
He wondered why the commission was now shifting the blame to the
Police Commissioner.
"Kamau is the suspect. He was the one covering up for the Artur
brothers," claimed Raila.
False information
Raila said it was for the same reason that he gave the information
to the Police Commissioner, who in turn referred him to Kilimani
Police Station.
"It was in the wisdom of the Commissioner of Police that the matter be
investigated by another officer other than the CID boss," said Raila.
Raila wondered why Kamau, Musyoka and himself were not summoned to
the commission.
"The truth of this Arturs saga is known up to State House," he said.
Raila said it was time the President owned up and sacked Michuki for
"giving false information to the public".
On his part, Kalonzo said the Government had treated Kenyans to an
unforgivable circus.
"Our worst fears about the Arturs have now been confirmed," said
Kalonzo, adding that even a child knew very well that a Government
could not investigate itself because it was involved in this saga.
The MP said it was imperative for the commission to have interrogated
Kamau.
"There is an attempt to sanitise him".
Kalonzo urged Kenyans to stand up and demand the truth, claiming the
Arturs were trained assassins.
He disclosed that he had briefed a recent African Union meeting about
the Armenians’ activities.
"As the African Union, we agreed that any assassination attempt on
the ODM figures was to be blamed on the Government," said Kalonzo.