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ARTURS READY TO TESTIFY, SAYS LAWYER
Story By Mugumo Munene And Lucas Barasa
The Nation, Kenya
July 6 2006
The two Armenians who were deported to Dubai after causing a commotion
at Kenya's main airport are ready to return to the country to testify
before the Kiruki commission.
However lawyer Oscar Avedi, who appeared before the commission to
state the case of the suspect brothers, was turned away after he
failed to vouch for his clients' shadowy identity.
In a twist of events, Mr Avedi, who was standing in for lawyer Gibson
Morara in representing the two, admitted that he did not know the
true identity of his clients.
And yesterday it turned out that the Armenians were casually issued
with the security passes, which would allow them access to the aircraft
parking lots (apron) and all lounges in all airports.
The passes were given following verbal instructions given over the
telephone to the issuing officer, Mr Edward Mutai, who is the ninth
witness to appear before the commission.
A stunned assisting counsel Ms Dorcas Oduor asked Mr Mutai: "Do you
realise that you gave a pass to two people to access to aprons and
lounges in all our airports without anything? You don't know them,
you don't even know what they were going to do. Think of the known
and unknown that could have happened if they continued to hold these
passes."
Last week, it emerged that the Government had received two official
communications from Interpol Armenia, which branded the two brothers
as impostors.
The communications, one in March and the other in April, stated that
neither Artur Margaryan, the tall bearded one nor Artur Sargsyan,
the shorter one who always wore dark spectacles, were related to the
Armenian prime minister as they had publicly claimed.
Their identity was muddled further after it turned out that they
had used different names to acquire Kenyan passports, which had been
stolen blank from the Immigrations department in May.
Mr Margaryan and his bodyguard, Mr Julius T. Lucas, were issued with
passes on February 10, while Ms Sharfina Alarakiya and Mr Sargasyan
Arman (Artur Sargsyan) were given the documents on June 8.
Yesterday, Mr Mutai admitted that regulations were flouted, as the
true identity of the Armenians was never sought before the passes
were issued.
For a Kenyan to be issued with such a pass, they would require a
certificate of good conduct from the director of CID. They would also
require finger and palm prints in addition to detailed information
given in the prescribed forms.
Additionally, the employer is required to fill a separate form stating
their business at the airport and vouching for their employer's worth
of trust.
Foreigners are required to be introduced to KAA through Foreign
Affairs ministry.
None of the rules was followed when the Armenians were issued with
the documents. Neither did the Government officials take issue with
the scant details provided in the application forms. Instead, they
simply walked off with their passes and application forms within
minutes. The forms cannot be traced.
Following is the exchange between commission chairman Shedrack Kiruki
and Mr Avedi over the identity of the two brothers.
Avedi: My lords, I'm Oscar Avedi, and I'm here on behalf of Gibson
Morara advocate, who is unwell and asked me to appear before you
today for purposes of representing the Artur brothers.
Kiruki: Mr Avedi, can you tell us exactly whom you want to represent.
Avedi: Artur Margaryan and and Artur Sargsyan.
Kiruki: We are told that those people have never been to Kenya. Can
you tell us who your clients are?
Avedi: They are willing to come and testify and we will be making an
application for them to come and testify.
Kiruki: We have been told that Arturs have never been to our country.
Avedi: Those are the people who are being mentioned and they are the
ones I'm representing right now as we speak.
Kiruki: What if it turns out that they are not the people you are
representing?
Avedi: Then it will turn out that the inquiry is here investigating
other people and not the two brothers.
Kiruki: We have been told that the Arturs are in Armenia and have
never been here.
Avedi: True, but the inquiry is investigating the Artur brothers and
that is why we are here.
Kiruki: You are coming to represent who yourself?
Avedi: I'm holding brief for Gibson Morara, who has been instructed to
come on record for the two brothers Artur Margaryan and Artur Sargsyan.
Kiruki: Mr Avedi can you go and find out exactly who you want to
represent because those people have never been to our country. Find
out from the person you are holding brief for, on whose behalf you
are appearing.
Avedi: Yes. On a point of clarification, I believe the commission of
inquiry is looking into the conduct of the two brothers.
Isaack: Maybe, what the chairman wanted to find out from you is this;
your clients have been holding themselves out as Artur Margaryan and
Artur Sargsyan here, but do you know their real names.
Avedi: I do not know their real names. Maybe at the end of the inquiry
we will know who they really are.
Kiruki: How can you represent someone whose real name you don't know?
Avedi: They have called themselves the Artur brothers.
Kiruki: That is why we are asking you to find out who is involved.
The inquiry covers more than that. It's not only the names that
were thrown around. When you come here, tell us who you are going to
appear for.
Avedi: I'm appearing for people who are the subject of the inquiry.
At the end of it, we will get to know who they really are.
Kiruki: We have evidence that the people who are mentioned have
never stepped in our country. We'd like to know who you are going
to represent.
Avedi: At the end of it, we will know who they are. They are willing
to come and testify and we will ask them; who are you?
Kiruki: Would it be too much to ask your friend?
Avedi: No, I can do that. But for clarification, is leave being
granted?
Kiruki: We can't grant you permission to represent someone you
don't know.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Story By Mugumo Munene And Lucas Barasa
The Nation, Kenya
July 6 2006
The two Armenians who were deported to Dubai after causing a commotion
at Kenya's main airport are ready to return to the country to testify
before the Kiruki commission.
However lawyer Oscar Avedi, who appeared before the commission to
state the case of the suspect brothers, was turned away after he
failed to vouch for his clients' shadowy identity.
In a twist of events, Mr Avedi, who was standing in for lawyer Gibson
Morara in representing the two, admitted that he did not know the
true identity of his clients.
And yesterday it turned out that the Armenians were casually issued
with the security passes, which would allow them access to the aircraft
parking lots (apron) and all lounges in all airports.
The passes were given following verbal instructions given over the
telephone to the issuing officer, Mr Edward Mutai, who is the ninth
witness to appear before the commission.
A stunned assisting counsel Ms Dorcas Oduor asked Mr Mutai: "Do you
realise that you gave a pass to two people to access to aprons and
lounges in all our airports without anything? You don't know them,
you don't even know what they were going to do. Think of the known
and unknown that could have happened if they continued to hold these
passes."
Last week, it emerged that the Government had received two official
communications from Interpol Armenia, which branded the two brothers
as impostors.
The communications, one in March and the other in April, stated that
neither Artur Margaryan, the tall bearded one nor Artur Sargsyan,
the shorter one who always wore dark spectacles, were related to the
Armenian prime minister as they had publicly claimed.
Their identity was muddled further after it turned out that they
had used different names to acquire Kenyan passports, which had been
stolen blank from the Immigrations department in May.
Mr Margaryan and his bodyguard, Mr Julius T. Lucas, were issued with
passes on February 10, while Ms Sharfina Alarakiya and Mr Sargasyan
Arman (Artur Sargsyan) were given the documents on June 8.
Yesterday, Mr Mutai admitted that regulations were flouted, as the
true identity of the Armenians was never sought before the passes
were issued.
For a Kenyan to be issued with such a pass, they would require a
certificate of good conduct from the director of CID. They would also
require finger and palm prints in addition to detailed information
given in the prescribed forms.
Additionally, the employer is required to fill a separate form stating
their business at the airport and vouching for their employer's worth
of trust.
Foreigners are required to be introduced to KAA through Foreign
Affairs ministry.
None of the rules was followed when the Armenians were issued with
the documents. Neither did the Government officials take issue with
the scant details provided in the application forms. Instead, they
simply walked off with their passes and application forms within
minutes. The forms cannot be traced.
Following is the exchange between commission chairman Shedrack Kiruki
and Mr Avedi over the identity of the two brothers.
Avedi: My lords, I'm Oscar Avedi, and I'm here on behalf of Gibson
Morara advocate, who is unwell and asked me to appear before you
today for purposes of representing the Artur brothers.
Kiruki: Mr Avedi, can you tell us exactly whom you want to represent.
Avedi: Artur Margaryan and and Artur Sargsyan.
Kiruki: We are told that those people have never been to Kenya. Can
you tell us who your clients are?
Avedi: They are willing to come and testify and we will be making an
application for them to come and testify.
Kiruki: We have been told that Arturs have never been to our country.
Avedi: Those are the people who are being mentioned and they are the
ones I'm representing right now as we speak.
Kiruki: What if it turns out that they are not the people you are
representing?
Avedi: Then it will turn out that the inquiry is here investigating
other people and not the two brothers.
Kiruki: We have been told that the Arturs are in Armenia and have
never been here.
Avedi: True, but the inquiry is investigating the Artur brothers and
that is why we are here.
Kiruki: You are coming to represent who yourself?
Avedi: I'm holding brief for Gibson Morara, who has been instructed to
come on record for the two brothers Artur Margaryan and Artur Sargsyan.
Kiruki: Mr Avedi can you go and find out exactly who you want to
represent because those people have never been to our country. Find
out from the person you are holding brief for, on whose behalf you
are appearing.
Avedi: Yes. On a point of clarification, I believe the commission of
inquiry is looking into the conduct of the two brothers.
Isaack: Maybe, what the chairman wanted to find out from you is this;
your clients have been holding themselves out as Artur Margaryan and
Artur Sargsyan here, but do you know their real names.
Avedi: I do not know their real names. Maybe at the end of the inquiry
we will know who they really are.
Kiruki: How can you represent someone whose real name you don't know?
Avedi: They have called themselves the Artur brothers.
Kiruki: That is why we are asking you to find out who is involved.
The inquiry covers more than that. It's not only the names that
were thrown around. When you come here, tell us who you are going to
appear for.
Avedi: I'm appearing for people who are the subject of the inquiry.
At the end of it, we will get to know who they really are.
Kiruki: We have evidence that the people who are mentioned have
never stepped in our country. We'd like to know who you are going
to represent.
Avedi: At the end of it, we will know who they are. They are willing
to come and testify and we will ask them; who are you?
Kiruki: Would it be too much to ask your friend?
Avedi: No, I can do that. But for clarification, is leave being
granted?
Kiruki: We can't grant you permission to represent someone you
don't know.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress