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The Nation, Kenya
July 8 2006
Rogue pair stirred city hotel
Story by MUGUMO MUNENE and LUCAS BARASA
Publication Date: 2006/07/08
The rogue Armenian brothers stirred the showcase Panari Sky Centre,
brandishing police identifications, totting a gun and shoving away
astonished guards only a day before they were deported.
Lawyer Gibson Kamau Kuria cross-examines a witness yesterday. He is
appearing for Narc activist Mary Wambui's daughter Winnie Wangui.
Photo by Fredrick Omondi
They had arrived in separate vehicles bearing foreign number plates
at the five-star hotel and entertainment complex off Mombasa Road,
hours before they caused more commotion at the JKIA.
The details emerged as Ms Winnie Wangui, daughter of businesswoman and
political activist Mary Wambui - whom President Kibaki has clarified
are not members of his family - sent a lawyer, Dr Gibson Kamau Kuria,
to represent her before the Kiruki Commission.
One of the brothers, Mr Artur Margaryan, has publicly declared his
love for Ms Wangui, who is also listed as a director of one of his
companies.
The Commissions of Inquiry Act provides that anyone likely to be
mentioned in bad light in the course of an inquiry is informed of
the general nature of evidence in advance, giving them a choice to
call witnesses, personally testify, or send a lawyer to represent them.
The law also gives such a commission powers of a High Court to summon
witnesses who become critical to the investigation they undertake.
Ms Wangui, an assistant secretary at the Ministry of Water, is among
11 government officials, including policemen, suspended from the
civil service after the two were spirited out of the country.
And as he took the witness stand, the Panari Sky Centre security
manager Daniel Owiya yesterday recounted to a hushed commission
the ordeal the hotel's hapless guards underwent in the hands of the
foreigners he described as "usually rough". And this, at a centre that
would ordinarily attract even the world's very rich. It overlooks the
Nairobi National Park, and is a state-of-the-art architectural work
comprising of the hotel, a huge shopping mall, ice-skating rink,
cinema theatres and a host of food courts catering for the varied
exotic tastes.
The hotel boasts 136 rooms tastefully done, with unique antiques
adorning the walls. The rooms include standard, deluxe, superior and
a presidential suite - the Royal Jade Suite.
One of the most unique facilities available at the Panari Hotel is
the ice-skating rink, the only one in East and Central Africa since
the one that used to be operated by the Hall Thermotank at Jamhuri
Park Showground closed down more than 30 years ago.
The first to arrive at the centre on June 8 at 3.30pm was Mr Artur
Sargsyan - the shorter pale one - who proceeded to a restaurant on
the second floor without incident.
An hour later, Mr Margaryan arrived in the company of a man and a
woman, with bodyguards in a Kenyan registered Volvo in tow.
Drama unfolded the moment Mr Margaryan discovered that the parking lot
directly in front of the hotel was reserved, upon which he alighted
from his vehicle and removed the Reserved Parking barriers.
The guards attempted to direct him to another parking lot, but they
were simply shoved aside by menacing bodyguards as their boss swaggered
into the hotel and proceeded to the lifts.
A lift arrived from the basement, but as soon as the doors slid open,
Mr Margaryan and his bodyguards ejected its bewildered occupants and
went in by themselves to the second floor to meet his brother.
Mr Owiya said the security guards immediately alerted him of the
unusual incident and he had to plead with the brothers to return to
the parking lot and remove their vehicle.
July 8 2006
Rogue pair stirred city hotel
Story by MUGUMO MUNENE and LUCAS BARASA
Publication Date: 2006/07/08
The rogue Armenian brothers stirred the showcase Panari Sky Centre,
brandishing police identifications, totting a gun and shoving away
astonished guards only a day before they were deported.
Lawyer Gibson Kamau Kuria cross-examines a witness yesterday. He is
appearing for Narc activist Mary Wambui's daughter Winnie Wangui.
Photo by Fredrick Omondi
They had arrived in separate vehicles bearing foreign number plates
at the five-star hotel and entertainment complex off Mombasa Road,
hours before they caused more commotion at the JKIA.
The details emerged as Ms Winnie Wangui, daughter of businesswoman and
political activist Mary Wambui - whom President Kibaki has clarified
are not members of his family - sent a lawyer, Dr Gibson Kamau Kuria,
to represent her before the Kiruki Commission.
One of the brothers, Mr Artur Margaryan, has publicly declared his
love for Ms Wangui, who is also listed as a director of one of his
companies.
The Commissions of Inquiry Act provides that anyone likely to be
mentioned in bad light in the course of an inquiry is informed of
the general nature of evidence in advance, giving them a choice to
call witnesses, personally testify, or send a lawyer to represent them.
The law also gives such a commission powers of a High Court to summon
witnesses who become critical to the investigation they undertake.
Ms Wangui, an assistant secretary at the Ministry of Water, is among
11 government officials, including policemen, suspended from the
civil service after the two were spirited out of the country.
And as he took the witness stand, the Panari Sky Centre security
manager Daniel Owiya yesterday recounted to a hushed commission
the ordeal the hotel's hapless guards underwent in the hands of the
foreigners he described as "usually rough". And this, at a centre that
would ordinarily attract even the world's very rich. It overlooks the
Nairobi National Park, and is a state-of-the-art architectural work
comprising of the hotel, a huge shopping mall, ice-skating rink,
cinema theatres and a host of food courts catering for the varied
exotic tastes.
The hotel boasts 136 rooms tastefully done, with unique antiques
adorning the walls. The rooms include standard, deluxe, superior and
a presidential suite - the Royal Jade Suite.
One of the most unique facilities available at the Panari Hotel is
the ice-skating rink, the only one in East and Central Africa since
the one that used to be operated by the Hall Thermotank at Jamhuri
Park Showground closed down more than 30 years ago.
The first to arrive at the centre on June 8 at 3.30pm was Mr Artur
Sargsyan - the shorter pale one - who proceeded to a restaurant on
the second floor without incident.
An hour later, Mr Margaryan arrived in the company of a man and a
woman, with bodyguards in a Kenyan registered Volvo in tow.
Drama unfolded the moment Mr Margaryan discovered that the parking lot
directly in front of the hotel was reserved, upon which he alighted
from his vehicle and removed the Reserved Parking barriers.
The guards attempted to direct him to another parking lot, but they
were simply shoved aside by menacing bodyguards as their boss swaggered
into the hotel and proceeded to the lifts.
A lift arrived from the basement, but as soon as the doors slid open,
Mr Margaryan and his bodyguards ejected its bewildered occupants and
went in by themselves to the second floor to meet his brother.
Mr Owiya said the security guards immediately alerted him of the
unusual incident and he had to plead with the brothers to return to
the parking lot and remove their vehicle.