Justice may be slow to come by generally because of the rigour due diligence demands, but in the ‘Armenian’ saga it is moving at an unacceptable snail speed.
And with every hour and day wasted on this evolving saga of dithering, indecision and postponing, national security is endangered, and the ability of the Government to protect its citizens is compromised.
It is no longer intelligent or justice-minded to continue harping on the line that these apparently innocuous businessmen have committed no crime. It is also no longer politically prudent to use the ‘strangers’ as bait for political blackmail or mileage.
For doing so is dicing with a threat to national security.
With every revelation, allegation, and turn of events and episode national security and sovereignty is compromised. To tolerate this is to send the wrong signal that Kenya is a country where claimants to unsubstantiated prominence can get away with mischief and slight of public intelligence.
Now is the time to apply the rule of law to prove that the law is not a respecter of persons or status and that the rule of law still counts.
Even on the surface of it there is evidence that crimes, petty and pretty serious ones, may have been committed, and the police should take action.
Let’s begin with the petty: It is a traffic offence to drive a car whose number plates are concealed on a public road. For this alone, traffic police officers have reason to investigate why law a biding motorist should resort to such disguises. The businessman, Artur Margayan, has explained this as a security precaution, but he is yet to report to any police station that his life is in danger.
It is also a serious offence for anyone to claim he was approached to fund the overthrow of the legally constituted Government of the Republic of Kenya. The claim that these gentlemen were asked to fund a vote of confidence in the Government points to treason.
The businessmen have also claimed affinity to the President of Armenia, an allegation that has been denied. Under the laws of Kenya, impersonation is a criminal offence, and if this is proved to be the case, then these gentlemen are dangerous to national security and should not be allowed to roam, issuing threats with impunity.
Yet the police seem helpless in handling the case. The first time police officers went to the Runda house a week ago, a dog was set on them and three CID officers investigating the matter fled.
Early this week, a police squad was recalled when they went to the investor’s Runda house.
We are thus dealing with breaches of the law and possible crimes that may have been committed or about to be committed, and threats to national sovereignty and integrity.
The composure of the Kenyan people in Nairobi streets on Thursday after Margaryan let our offices was a potent call to action. The people could have lynched the businessman, but they didn’t. The message to the Government is clear: Act on this case now to protect the rule of law.
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