Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has on Friday, August 13 told Parliament that Turkish Businessman Harun Aydin had tried to bribe a Minister in Zambia.
Matiang’i who appeared before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Administration and National Security alleged that Aydin was involved in money-laundering.
According to Matiang’i, Aydin who had links with Deputy President William Ruto, was a money laundering suspect flagged out through the regional mutual security pacts and partnerships – which is why he was deported.
He said that Aydin’s well-documented interactions with known criminals regionally further raised security concerns about his activities in the country.
Concerning his travel documents, Matiang’i noted that the Turk’s passport was not supported by stamped entries raising serious security concerns on how he managed to enter the country.
No proof of investments
That despite claiming to have come in as an investor in the energy sector, there’s no evidence of his investments in the country, Matiang’i said.
The internal security also said that Aydin’s personal information he gave regarding contacts and office location are either fake or non-existent – which according to Matiang’i, is a red flag.
It was also reported that the Kenyan government had intended to arraign Aydin locally, but the Turk govt requested to deal with the suspect as per existing bilateral laws.
We did nothing wrong
Matiang’i insisted that the Govt had done nothing wrong and cannot therefore apologize to Aydin or the Turkish government.
Aydin was deported on Monday, August 9, at 3am through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) after he was arrested on Saturday, August 7, after landing at the Wilson Airport from Uganda.
The arrest and detention of the Turkish businessman generated debate with DP Ruto, who had been refused permission to fly to Uganda with Aydin, defending him claiming he was an investor.
A fuming Ruto would later call Aydin later that Monday to apologise for the alleged mistreatment by the government.