IMMIGRATION ADDS MYSTERY TO NATIONALITY OF TWO MEN
Standard, Kenya
March 16 2006
The nationality of two men at the centre of mercenary claims remains
a mystery as records at the Immigration Department show they were
Indian and Armenian nationals.
Contrary to Immigration minister Gideon Konchellah’s remarks that both
individuals were Armenians, we have learnt that they were registered as
nationals of different countries to disguise their identities. During
their Monday Press conference at the Jomo Kenyatta International
Airport, the ‘businessmen’ said they were Armenian brothers. They
also refuted claims they were mercenaries.
Mr Artur Margaryan is registered as an Indian in file No. 1211129,
while Mr Artur Sargsyan is registered in file No. 1211130 as an
Armenian. But Margaryan insists that he is Armenian. They are both
listed as directors of Brother Link International Ltd with Group H
working permits, which allow them to work in Kenya for two years.
Group H permits are reserved for company directors. The permits were
said to have been approved at a meeting between Investment Promotional
Authority and the Immigrations Department on January 19.
An Immigration official, Evelyne Cheluget, is said to have chaired
the meeting that allegedly approved their permits. The company is
listed as “offering services to various organisations in marketing
business development.”
According to the panel, the names did not feature in their meeting.
“When we discussed the permits, their names did not feature. I am
certain about that,” stated the source.
Efforts to get a comment from the Indian High Commissioner were futile
as he was said to be out of office.
Relations with a Narc activist
Meanwhile, the Government has said it had nothing to do with the
business the two are doing in the country.
Government spokesman Alfred Mutua said Brother Link Ltd was registered
in the names of the two men on December 1, 2005.
“They were later issued with class H type immigration investors
permits on January 23, 2006,” said Mutua.
He said the Government could not explain any relations they may be
having with a Narc activist.
“Ask the activist, but you cannot expect the Government to answer
questions for a person who is not its employee,” said Mutua.
He, however, said the two brothers could be having other companies,
among them Kensington Holdings Ltd, where Ms Winfred Wangui Mwai is
also a director.
Mutua said it appeared the Armenians have been meeting several people
in the country, such as Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka and others.
“As we speak here, they are at the police station recording a statement
on allegations that they are mercenaries,” said Mutua.
However, Artur Margaryan was at the time addressing journalists at
a Press conference in KTN offices. Mutua said the police would be
particularly interested in the pictures and CCTV footage the Armenians
claim they have. He said there was nothing wrong with businessmen
or any other people holding a Press conference at the airport VIP
lounge. He, however, did not explain why they were using GK vehicles,
concealing their car number plates or the kind of business they did
in the country.
Elsewhere, Office of the President Assistant minister Joseph Kingi
and Internal Security Permanent Secretary, Cyrus Gituai, said the
two men were already under investigation.
“Give the Government time to carry out investigations. We are
investigating whether they are mercenaries or not,” Kingi said.
Businessmen or hit men?
And the mystery over the two deepened after National Security minister
John Michuki said he could not tell whether the individuals were
businessmen or hit men.
Michuki declined to state the nationality of the two men, saying
investigations would reveal their real identities.
“Going by what you have been writing they could be Russians, Armenians,
Americans. We will ascertain who they are,” Michuki said.
Michuki, who had called a Press conference at his office on Thursday
evening, said the matter was under “active” investigations. “I do
not know whether they are mercenaries or not. It will come up in the
investigations,” he said.
He said allegations by Lang’ata MP Raila Odinga about the existence
of mercenaries in Kenya were serious as far as State security was
concerned. He said the Government should be given an opportunity to
carefully investigate the matter devoid of political interference.
Michuki said the media should not misinterpret or unnecessarily
exaggerate delicate security issues to limits designed to serve their
interests. He said he agreed with some media houses which have stated
that politics should be kept out of security matters, “although the
same media houses have been on the fore front of politicising these
matters.”
Michuki said the Police were highly efficient and would be able to
unravel the unfolding drama involving the two men.

MOB BAYS FOR ARMENIAN’S BLOOD AS IDENTITY RIDDLE DEEPENS
Standard, Kenya
March 16 2006
With a mob in Nairobi streets baying for his blood and the Armenian
government discrediting his passport, Mr Artur Margaryan was a man
under siege, even as he walked into the Standard Group offices to
deny claims linking him to mercenary activities.
Matters are complicated by the fact that information at the Ministry
of Immigration indicates he is a citizen of India and his compatriot,
Mr Artur Sargsyan, an Armenian.
Irate women scream at Artur Margaryan along Kenyatta Avenue soon
after he left the Standard Group offices at I&M Bank Tower on Thursday
afternoon.
And State House entered the fray with a statement on the name of
Narc activist Mary Wambui’s daughter, who has been listed as a
co-shareholder in a company with Margaryan and Sargsyan.
The statement, released by the Presidential Press Service, said:
“Our attention has been drawn to a story appearing on the front
page of The Standard, making reference to a company involving Ms
Winfred Wangui Mwai, whose picture also appears. We hereby wish to
state that the full names of the said Winfred are Winfred Florence
Wangui, as appearing in her National Identity Card, and the name
Mwai appears nowhere in the national registry. Kindly correct the
erroneous impression created through the use of the name Mwai.”
Confronted by angry mob
The statement was in reaction to our lead story on Thursday, where
we reproduced the names as they appear in the company’s memorandum
of understanding. The story made no reference to State House.
The PPS statement also refuted claims that some State House cars had
been seen in the vicinity of Runda, near the house rented by the two.
The Orange Democratic Movement had released a statement giving a list
of vehicles linked to the two foreigners. The movement also asked
President Kibaki to say what he knew about the intriguing saga.
Margaryan was on Thursday rescued by police from an angry mob that
confronted him in the streets soon after he left the Standard premises.
The mob shouted insults at him and followed him through the streets
as he frantically spoke on his mobile phone. Armed police repulsed
the crowd and whisked him away in a taxi.
The nationalities of the two foreigners is now in doubt after the
director of Consular Department at the Armenia Ministry of Foreign
Affairs Tigran Seiranian, said the passport number AB0322223 held by
Artur Margaryan was not in their records.
In response to our inquiries by email, Seiranian also dismissed as
false claims by the two foreigners that they were related to the
country’s president and that one of them was a presidential hopeful
in the 2008 elections.
Credibility in doubt
Artur Sargsyan claimed on Monday that he was a presidential candidate
and was related to the Armenian President Robert Kocharian. But his
name does not appear in a list of the 2008 presidential contestants
posted on the Armenian HyeForum message board website.
This latest information on the unfolding saga came as the Government
gave its first indication that it was now doubting the credibility
and nationalities of the two foreigners.
National Security minister John Michuki said he could not tell whether
the individuals mentioned were businessmen or hit men. And asked about
their nationality, he said: “Going by what you have been writing,
they could be Russians, Armenians, Americans. We will ascertain who
they are.”
He added that the Government was now investigating the two foreigners,
who came out in public for the first time on Monday to deny reports
that they were mercenaries.
The claims were first made by Langata MP Raila Odinga, who said the
foreigners were involved in the Government raid on the Standard Group
premises in the city centre and Industrial Area.
But the two men turned up to claim they had lent Raila Sh108 million
to sort out a personal problem. They also claimed Raila and Mwingi
North MP Kalonzo Musyoka had asked for Sh3 billion to finance a
no-confidence vote in the Government. Both leaders have asked the
two men to prove their claims.
Vilified for political reasons
Margaryan strolled into the Standard/KTN offices on Thursday to restate
his claims that he was an honest businessman, who was being vilified
for political reasons.
The man, who said his visit was intended “to bury the story of the
mercenary once for all”, further denied having ever been to State
House or sharing business interests with a prominent Narc activist
or a member of her family.
“I don’t know the location (of State House). I’ve not been there,”
Margaryan told journalists at a Press conference. And shown the
picture of Winifred Wangui, with whom records at the Registrar of
Companies indicate he co-shares Kensington Holding Ltd, he said she
looked like an “African lady I don’t know.”
Asked about claims that he trafficked drugs, Margaryan said he was
“very religious” and abhorred the substances, and that he had set up
an anti-drug movement in Dubai.
With a touch of swashbuckling, amplified by a bullet-proof vest he
claimed was a “medical jacket” prescribed by doctors for injuries he
had sustained in an accident, Margaryan said he felt no remorse for
the attack of a police officer in his compound last week.
He had imported more dogs just in case the police dared to raid his
house again, he warned. “I had one dog, but now I’ve six from Dubai.
If you jump into my compound, I will unleash them on you. I don’t
care if it is the CID officer or the Commissioner himself.”
Ostentatious lifestyle
He further dared the police to arrest him for concealing number
plates of “his cars” – he claimed to have three Lexus, “but I could
have six by evening if I want” -arguing that he was forced to do so
for security reasons.
Unknown people had trailed him, he claimed, although he could not
explain the irony of demanding police protection from the same force
he had chased away from his house recently.
Margaryan said he and the second man he claims is his brother had
sunk around Sh360 million into the upgrading of a slum.
Showing off expensive jewellery and at least five mobile phones that
kept ringing throughout the hour-long interview, Margaryan repeated
the claim that he had loaned Raila Sh108 million.
Asked to show evidence of the loan, he said he had not bothered to
tie the “loan” in paperwork “as he believed life was like a menu,
that you only asked for what you planned to pay for.”
He then said he had given the recording cameras used during the
transaction to a hotel manager. He claimed to have personally installed
the CCTV cameras at the Grand Regency hotel Penthouse suite from where
he said he handed over the money stashed in a “Nakumatt paper bag”.
Margaryan, however, left more questions than answers after he slyly
deflected inquiries on his apparent well-heeled and ostentatious
lifestyle.
For instance, although he insisted the upgrading process that sounded
more of charity work than investment had the full blessings of the
Government, he insisted he was yet to meet any high-ranking state
official over it.
He and his investing colleagues planned to buy land at a location he
did not wish to name as they planned “to sell the houses in peace.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CBA CALCULATES COMPOSITE ECONOMIC INDICES FOR FIRST QUARTER OF 2006
Noyan Tapan
Mar 16 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The Central Bank of Armenia (CBA)
calculated the composite economic indices for the first quarter of 2006
with respect to the fourth quarter of 2005 – the business environment
index made 107.8 units, the economic activity index – 131.5 units,
and the consumer confidence index – 99.6 units. NT was informed from
the CBA press service that with the aim of calculating the first two
indices, over 600 organizations in industry, construction and the
service sector were surveyed based on a selective principle. The
business environment index is calculated by finding the average
of the organizations’ assessments of the risks and changes in the
overall economic situation, the economic activity index – based on
the average of the organizations’ expectations about output volumes,
orders for production and reserves.
The consumer confidence index is calculated taking into account the
households’ responses about changes in their incomes, expenditures
and employment and their attitude towards the current economic
conditions. The questions have a qualitative character and include such
response options as “grew”, “remained unchanged” and “declined”. After
the survey, the specific weight of each option in the overall number
of responses is calculated, then the specific weight of positive
responses is added to half of the specific weight of neutral responses
to get the balances of the responses. The values range from 0 to 100,
with a value above 50 showing high activity, a value under 50 – low
activity, while 50 means an unchanged state. The CBA has calculated
the composite economic indices since the second quarter of 2005. The
balances of survey responses to calculate the composite economic
indices for the second, third, fourth quarters of 2005 and for the
first quarter of 2006 (with respect to the previous quarter) made:
the business environment index – 53.9, 52.2, 54.1 and 58.3 points,
the economic activity index – 72.2, 71.0, 53.6 and 70.5 points, and
the consumer confidence index – 51.53, 50.9, 51.5 and 51.3 points. The
final indices were calculated as the ratio of the response balances
to the respective index of the base period.

CBA BOARD PRESENTS PECULIARITIES OF ITS NEW MONETARY AND CREDIT POLICY TO HEADS OF COMMERCIAL BANKS
Noyan Tapan
Mar 16 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 16, NOYAN TAPAN. A meeting of the Central Bank of
Armenia (CBA) Board members and the heads of the commercial banks
took place on March 14. NT was informed from the CBA press service
that the new instruments of the CBA monetary and credit policy
and the principles of their use were presented at the meeting. It
was noted that in order to ensure price stability in Armenia, the
CBA shifted to inflation targeting in January 2006 and currently
attaches importance to increasing the efficiency of the interest rate
transfer mechanism in the monetary and credit policy. The success
here will depend on a number of tasks such as the fight against
the shadow economy, the development of the financial system, the
integration of the international financial systems and increasing
the financial market liquidity. It was pointed out at the meeting
that the low level of liquidity of the Armenian financial market
prevents efficient management of financial institutions’ liquidity,
and therefore the crediting of the economy. The meeting participants
pointed out that the instruments of the monetary and credit policy
should be aimed, through increasing the financial market liquidity,
at enhancing the efficiency of the interest rate instrument of the
transfer mechanism and strengthening the role of the short-term
interest rate for the financial market participants. The change in
the monetary and credit policy’s strategy requires that the logic of
the CBA operations on the domestic financial market be reviewed. It
was underlined that for this purpose every Wednesday, as the main
instrument, the CBA will implement 14-day repo operations at the
interest rate of refinancing. The CBA will set the refinancing
interest rate, taking into account the deviations of the forecast
and target inflation indices, as well as the tendecies shown by the
interest rates on the market and the profitablity curve. Long-term
restricting structural instruments will be used, particularly the
issue of bonds and the sale of foreign currency for the monetary base
and liquidity management. The interest rate of lombard credit will
be smoothly reduced and will not be viewed as an instrument for fining.

8 NEW CASES OF HIV REGISTERED IN ARMENIA THIS YEAR
Noyan Tapan
Mar 16 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 16, NOYAN TAPAN. 8 new cases of HIV have been registered
in Armenia this year. NT correspondent was informed at the Republican
Center for AIDS Prevention that 390 cases of HIV were registered
in the country from 1998 to February 28, 2006. Out of this number,
371 HIV positive persons were Armenian citizens. In 2005 alone, 78
new HIV cases were registered, with 75 being Armenian citizens. 116
HIV positive persons (20 women, 4 children) have been found to have
AIDS, 41 of whom – in 2005, and 11 – this year. Until now 81 people
(13 women, 2 children) have died from AIDS/HIV in Armenia. It was
noted that in Armenia, the main HIV transmission routes are drug use
(54.5%) and heterosexual contacts (37.7%).

DEMAND OF LAW “ON PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION” CONCERNING SALARIES NOT FUNCTION IN TAVUSH
Noyan Tapan
Mar 16 2006
IJEVAN, MARCH 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The demand on salaries fixed in the
law “On Pre-School Education” come into force from January 1, 2006,
doesn’t function in the marz of Tavush. It’s particularly fixed by
the law that the minimum wage of pedagogues of kindergartens under
state and community subjection must be in double size of the minimum
salary fixed in the republic, thus, 30 thousand drams (about 67
U.S. dollars). But at the sitting of the Regional Council, Robert
Nersisian, the Chief of the Finance and Economy Department of the
Tavush regional administration advised the village heads to appoint
salary of pedagogues arising not of the demands of the above-mentioned
law, but of financial possibilities of communities. Some village
heads mentioned at the sitting that the state is obliged to allocate
for that purpose money to communities from the budget what isn’t
done. R.Nersisian informed the Noyan Tapan correspondent that soon
changes may be done in the law “On Pre-School Education” for the
above-mentioned principle concerning pedagogues’ minimum wage relates
only to state pre-school institutions.

PUBLIC TELEVISION AND RADIO COMPANY COUNCIL CHAIRMAN ADDRESSES OFFICIAL LETTER TO NA SPEAKER
Noyan Tapan
MAr 16 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 16, NOYAN TAPAN. Aleksan Haroutiunian, the Chairman
of the Council of the Public Television and Radio Company addressed
on March 15 an official letter to NA Speaker Artur Baghdasarain,
on the occasion of broadcasting programs concerning work of the
Parliament. A.Haroutiunian particularly proposed to implement
broadcasting of plenary sittings by the public radio and broadcasting
of a number of programs dedicated to works of the Parliament by
the public television not according to the demand of the law as
it’s at present, but based on an agreement to be signed between the
National Assembly and the Council. The Council Chairman stated at
the same day sitting of the National Assembly Standing Committee of
Science, Education, Culture and Youth Issues, that broadcasting of
the mentioned programs according to the force of the law contradicts
the regulations of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the
obligations undertaken by the Public Television on corresponding to the
European standards. Armenia became the EBU full and equal member in
2005. In the letter addressed to the NA Speaker, A.Haroutiunian also
expressed readiness to meet with all the political forces represented
at the Parliament to discuss the problem jointly. According to
him, the agreement to be signed will function till the end of the
commission of the Parliament of present convening, the type and
volume of broadcasting will remain unchanged, no financial problems
will arise. Responding the Noyan Tapan correspondent’s question, the
Council Chairman informed that he’s ready to come with the NA to such
a solution of the issue “for this isn’t considered as any attempts
made before the elections, but at the same time, for the principle
of editorial freedom of the Public Television is secured.” According
to A.Haroutiunian, in the opinion of European experts, the demand
fixed by the law on broadcasting the mentioned programs contradicts
the RA Constitution and principles of freedom of European mass media
as well. He also noticed that there is not any other member country
either of the European Broadcasting Union or the Council of Europe
where such a demand of the law functions.

NKR SECURITY COUNCIL SITTING
Azat Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
16 March 2006
On March 13, President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Arkady
Ghukassian summoned an enlarged sitting of the NKR Security Council
in the course of which issues related to the current stage of the
negotiations on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement were, in
particular, discussed. Getting acquainted with the activity carried
out in the frames of the process of working out the NKR Constitution,
the President instructed to call a sitting of the Constitutional
Commission in the current week for summing up the results of that ac
tivity. The participants of the sitting discussed also a number of
issues of social-economic development of the republic.

FIRST CERTIFICATION IN SHUSHI
A.Gabrielian
Azat Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
16 March 2006
On March 10, 2006 the certification of 4 junior officials of the
regional administration of Shushi took place. The certification
was held in two stages: a test and an interview. One of the junior
officials did not pass the test.
The chairman of the certification commission Karine Harutiunian
said this is the first certification of civil servants in Shushi,
which was held in compliance with the NKR Law on Civil Service. The
aim of the certification is to upgrade the professional skills and
knowledge of civil servants.

EMPLOYMENT REMAINS UP IN THE AIR
Susanna Balayan
Azat Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
16 March 2006
Recently the passivity of young people in Karabakh, the low level of
their involvement in state building has been considered more often. The
majority of emigrants are young people, say public officials, leaders
of youth organizations, NGOs, whose activity has the same goal –
to involve young people in different projects and initiatives. This
reality is not a problem but an alarm about the situation, which may
bring about unpredictable consequences. For instance, during the ten
post-war years the population of NKR did not change essentially. The
rate of growth of the population is not high, several hundreds, or
1-2 thousand at best, says the statistical service, which is worrying
in all aspects. “We have tried to find out what the present-day youth
takes interest in, learn about their moods,” says Armineh Hayrapetian,
the chairman of Aram Manukian Students Union, “most young people live
without any hopes for improvement or for someone to do something
for them. Education, television, a concert at best or disco, this
is the narrow range of interests of today’s youth.” According to
the leader of Aram Manukian Students Union, this situation emanates
from the lack of a definite state policy on the youth problems. “The
problem of employment among young people is still up in the air,”
says Armineh Hayrapetian, “the majority of university graduates cannot
find jobs. They have to go away and work abroad. On the other hand,
if the speaker of the parliament said in an address that the youth
should not be engaged in politics, what can young people expect at
all? It is difficult to find a job, it is early for them to deal with
politics, what will their future be then?”
Nevertheless, Armineh Hayrapetian says there is progress in this
sphere, for despite the current situation new youth organizations have
emerged recently: Young Democrats, the Club of Young Politicians,
the YMCA, the youth wing of the Azat Hayrenik Party which deals
with environmental issues, and Zepyur. Armineh Petrossian, the
leader of the youth organization Hayki Serund, also agrees that
employment is a serious problem for young people. According to her,
the lack of a mechanism of relations between the government and youth
organizations, the state and the young people, is a serious obstacle
for the organization.
However, she says, there is already such a mechanism. The government
assists the projects of youth organizations rather than the youth
organizations. “All the youth organizations extended projects to
the government until January 30, and the government will decide
which projects to fund,” said Armineh Petrossian, and pointed out
that the organization led by her participates in the debates on the
new bill on the youth since January 2006 together with other youth
organizations. At the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport we were
informed that the bill on the youth has not been adopted in Armenia
yet. Its shortcomings are discussed at the ministry, as well as by
the youth organizations.
Kamo Atayan, Minister of Education, Culture and Sport, said two
chapters of the bill have been reviewed. After the bill is edited
completely, it will be extended to the government. Hopefully the
adoption of the law will help to prevent the migration of young people
from the country.