Police raise questions on Turkish investor's travel history as Ruto allies protest

Police are raising tough questions on the travel history of arrested Turkish Investor Harun Aydin who was in Deputy President William Ruto’s aborted trip to Uganda.

Aydin was arrested at the Wilson Airport shortly after landing from Uganda and driven to the Anti Terror Nairobi offices on Ngong Road, Nairobi.

Police said they had established the man had come to Kenya twice without the knowledge of Kenyan authorities.

“His passport shows he exited Kenya twice but there is no entry. How did this happen and who facilitated this?" asked a senior police officer aware of the probe.

However, Ruto’s allies have protested the arrest, terming it part of the strong-arm tactics to intimidate Ruto.

Kapsaret MP Oscar Sudi said he had told the police that if Aydin is a terrorist, he should be the one to be arrested.

“They allege they want to interrogate him but they are trying to provoke the deputy president because he remained silent when they blocked him from travelling…I want to be arrested too,” Sudi protested.

Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi claimed he has been denied access to Aydin, “on orders from above”.

Ruto has previously defended Aydin, who was in his entourage from claims of a criminal record.

The DP said the Turkish embassy had issued a statement that Aydin is a legitimate businessman with a work permit who has invested heavily in Kenya.

He said linking the investor to terrorism activities was ruining Kenya’s global image.

“How can you expose an investor as a criminal? That is how we destroy our country because of politics,” he stated.

Edited by D Tarus