06/17/2006
GRANTS
WECHE MOKADHO
;
Minister defends move to deport Armenians
By Standard Team
Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Martha Karua has defended the Government’s action to hurriedly deport the two Armenian brothers.
Karua urged Kenyans to be patient as police launched investigations into the men’s activities and alleged link to senior officials in President Mwai Kibaki’s administration.
"It was within the law to deport them. That was the best thing the State would have done in such circumstances," she told a news conference in Nakuru on Sunday.
Karua said action would be taken against those found to have aided the Artur brothers to settle in Kenya and conduct illegal activities.
"I’m sure action will be taken after investigations are complete. But you people should be patient," she told reporters.
The minister, who was accompanied by her Environment and Natural Resources counterpart Prof Kivutha Kibwana, denied that the State helped Artur Sargasyan and Artur Margaryan flee the country after committing crimes.
Karua said documents found in their Runda Estate in Nairobi were being examined by detectives.
"We should not be first to make conclusions. Let’s allow investigations to take place," she pleaded with the media.
Political vultures
However, Karua took issue with
some
politicians she did not name for capitalising on the Armenian saga,
which she
said was already under investigations.
"There are some political
vultures who
have taken it (saga) as an opportunity to attack the Government," said
the
minister.
The two Armenians, who were
linked to the
raid on the Standard Group premises a few months ago, caused a scare at
the
international airport when they drew guns and assaulted custom
officials before
they made away with bags, which they did not want to be searched.
Police pursued them to their
house, where
they broke down the gate and recovered assault rifles, Kenya Police
Quick
Response Unit (QRU) jackets, hoods and caps, assorted vehicle number
plates
including diplomatic and GK numbers, Kenyan Passports and Identity
Cards for
deputy police commissioners, high security airport access passes and 15
cars,
some of them Government registered.
The Government deported them on
Friday, a
move that elicited protest from politicians and the public.
Meanwhile, five opposition MPs
have called
for the sacking of Internal Security minister John Michuki over the
mercenary
saga.
Led by Kanu Secretary General
William Ruto,
the MPs accused the minister of defending the two brothers Artur
Margaryan and
Artur Sargasyan, whom they claimed were dangerous people. The other MPs
were
Mwandawiro Mghanga (Wundanyi), David Koros (Eldoret South), Philip
Rotino
(Sirgor) and Joseph Korir (Mogotio).
Security threat
Speaking in Wundanyi,
Mwandawiro and Korir
said the minister committed a serious crime by earlier defending
Margaryan and
Sargasyan in Parliament.
And former Director of Public
Prosecution
Philip Murgor has urged the President to appoint a commission of
inquiry to
investigate the security threat. Murgor said the commission should
comprise
credible judicial officers who would expose the full details of the
activities
of Margaryan and Sargasyan.
The civil society asked the
Government to
hunt down the two brothers and prosecute them. They want the brothers
returned
to Kenya and charged with treason for being in possession of guns
bearing the
presidential team serial numbers and as capital offenders for
participating in
the raid on the Standard Group premises.
Shelter Forum Director Haron
Ndubi on Sunday
told the Government to seek the aid of Interpol in bringing back the
two, whom
he branded as "terrorists", for a criminal trial.
And Muhoroni MP Prof Ayiecho
Olweny said
Government’s investigations into activities of the two brothers were
comical.
Addressing a news conference in Kisumu, Ayiecho said the public should
be
informed of Margaryan and Sargasyan’s roles in the police force.
"Margaryan and Sargasyan were
in
possession of police paraphernalia, including masks that looked like
the ones
used in the raid at The Standard," Ayiecho said.
He said sweeping matters under
the carpet was
an embarrassment to the Government.
The Standard, Monday June 12.
http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143953861
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