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ONE OF THE TWO NOTORIOUS ARMENIAN BROTHERS IS STILL IN THE MALDIVES, IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT CONFIRMED TO HAVEERU ON TUESDAY.
Haveeru Online, Maldives
April 2 2013
The Artur brothers who left Kenya after accusations that they were
global conmen, criminals and drug traffickers have surfaced in the
Maldives sparking concern over their presence in the country.
Immigration Controller Mohamed Ali said one of the brother Artur
Sargasyan had left the Maldives on Sunday afternoon.
According to the controller Sargasyan first came to the Maldives on a
tourist visa in August last year and returned again in October. The
other brother is still in Maldives and records do not show that he
had come to the Maldives before, Mohamed Ali added.
Haveeru has also confirmed that he is currently staying in a resort
in Male Atoll.
"We did not know that they were such people when they first came to
the Maldives. But when the Police brought it to our attention we took
necessary action," Controller said.
A letter had also been leaked signed by Tourism Minister Ahmed
Adeeb requesting the Immigration Department to arrange the five year
residence visa for the Arturs.
Controller confirmed that the Tourism Ministry had requested for
residential visa for the Artur brothers. But as such visas are issued
to foreigners that have invested in the Maldives, the request had
been denied, Mohamed Ali said. The brothers had been granted a special
three month visa during January, he added.
"As they had not met the criteria for a residence visa we did not
approve it. But as the Ministry had requested it we issued a special
three month visa. It was issued based on the Ministry's request,"
controller stressed.
The brothers were pictured with Tourism Minister Adeeb and Defence
Minister Nazim during a motor racing event held in Hulhumale in
January.
However both Adeeb and Nazim have denied knowing the Artur brothers
and claimed that the Arturs had already left the Maldives.
The Armenians had been linked to a huge scandal in Kenya which
eventually led to their highly controversial deportation.
A local media outlet KTN's investigations team produced a daring
expose of the cover-up that followed the seizure of Kenya's largest
ever cocaine haul in December 2004.
The channel further disclosed how several tonnes of the cocaine went
missing; how the brothers' were allowed to escape and how two State
prosecutions were deliberately mishandled.
A top leader in the then Kenyan opposition had also accused the Artur
brothers of being mercenaries sent into the country to kill him.
Haveeru has also found that the brothers had stayed in Club Faru
resort operated by Maldives Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC).
The USD6,000 resort stay bill of the Arturs had been borne by a top
official of the resort management.
http://www.haveeru.com.mv/news/48247
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Haveeru Online, Maldives
April 2 2013
The Artur brothers who left Kenya after accusations that they were
global conmen, criminals and drug traffickers have surfaced in the
Maldives sparking concern over their presence in the country.
Immigration Controller Mohamed Ali said one of the brother Artur
Sargasyan had left the Maldives on Sunday afternoon.
According to the controller Sargasyan first came to the Maldives on a
tourist visa in August last year and returned again in October. The
other brother is still in Maldives and records do not show that he
had come to the Maldives before, Mohamed Ali added.
Haveeru has also confirmed that he is currently staying in a resort
in Male Atoll.
"We did not know that they were such people when they first came to
the Maldives. But when the Police brought it to our attention we took
necessary action," Controller said.
A letter had also been leaked signed by Tourism Minister Ahmed
Adeeb requesting the Immigration Department to arrange the five year
residence visa for the Arturs.
Controller confirmed that the Tourism Ministry had requested for
residential visa for the Artur brothers. But as such visas are issued
to foreigners that have invested in the Maldives, the request had
been denied, Mohamed Ali said. The brothers had been granted a special
three month visa during January, he added.
"As they had not met the criteria for a residence visa we did not
approve it. But as the Ministry had requested it we issued a special
three month visa. It was issued based on the Ministry's request,"
controller stressed.
The brothers were pictured with Tourism Minister Adeeb and Defence
Minister Nazim during a motor racing event held in Hulhumale in
January.
However both Adeeb and Nazim have denied knowing the Artur brothers
and claimed that the Arturs had already left the Maldives.
The Armenians had been linked to a huge scandal in Kenya which
eventually led to their highly controversial deportation.
A local media outlet KTN's investigations team produced a daring
expose of the cover-up that followed the seizure of Kenya's largest
ever cocaine haul in December 2004.
The channel further disclosed how several tonnes of the cocaine went
missing; how the brothers' were allowed to escape and how two State
prosecutions were deliberately mishandled.
A top leader in the then Kenyan opposition had also accused the Artur
brothers of being mercenaries sent into the country to kill him.
Haveeru has also found that the brothers had stayed in Club Faru
resort operated by Maldives Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC).
The USD6,000 resort stay bill of the Arturs had been borne by a top
official of the resort management.
http://www.haveeru.com.mv/news/48247
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress