Matiang’i dismisses claims that government apologised for Aydin’s deportation

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has dismissed claims that the government apologised for arresting and deporting Turkish businessman Harun Aydin.

This comes after Deputy President William Ruto, on behalf of the government, apologised to Aydin for his controversial deportation.

Speaking in Mombasa before National Assembly Committee on Security and National Administration, Matiang’i said the government cannot and has not apologized because there is nothing wrong they did.

“The government of the Republic of Kenya cannot, would not and has not apologized, because there is nothing wrong we have done on this matter, and we have done what we have agreed with the Turkish government, to deport their citizen so that they can deal with him,’’ said Matiang’i.

On Aydin deportation, Matiang’i said that the country security agencies were in talks with his country (Aydin’s) and agreed on basis of mutuality to surrender him to his country.

He defended his deportation and arrest saying that if he was charged in the Kenyan courts for being in the country illegally and for money laundering would only attract a sentence of six months, bearing the diplomatic relationship Kenya has with Turkey.

Further, the CS said Aydin’s documents show that he was working in the energy sector but his contract was a dummy.

“Aydin got a work permit on 25th June, 2021. Security agencies flagged Aydin for his regional travels and was associated with people dealing in money laundering,” he said.

Aydin’s track movement, according to Matiang’i, is a characteristic of people involved in money laundering, and money laundering and terrorism are joined in the hip.

His passport is said to have shown that he left the country twice without a stamp of arrival meaning that he was sneaking into the country.

“Information filled on the work permit was incorrect and fraudulent, he is not an investor as purported. There’s no investment anywhere. He was a criminal,” Matiang’i noted.

Aydin was arrested on Saturday after jetting back from Uganda on a chartered flight by the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) over alleged terror financing claims and was to be arraigned at Kahawa Anti-Terrorism Law Court but he was controversially deported on Monday.

Ruto termed the arrest and deprtation as political pettiness.