Kenya deports Turkish investor accused of terrorism

Turkish Businessman, Aydin Harun [Photo: Twitter]

NAIROBI, Kenya - Kenya has deported a Turkish investor, who has been a focus of media headlines for the past week due to his links with Deputy President William Ruto, and whom the state accuses of links with terrorists.

Harun Aydinwas reportedly deported on Sunday night, his lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi confirmed, despite earlier information that he was to be presented to a law court on Monday morning to answer charges levelled against him.

"Confirmed Harun Aydin was deported," said Ahmednasir Abdullahi in a tweet, adding that: "Government realised it can't sustain a criminal case." Most of his legal team had arrived in Kahawa Law Courts where the businessman was set to be arraigned.

Ahmednasir has accused the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji of trumping up charges against the Turkish investor for political reasons, adding that "they will engage in the usual act of skulduggery that defines the modus operandi of Jubilee Government".

Aydin was arrested on Friday upon his arrival from Uganda, where he was reportedly set to establish an investment. Curiously, sources say Kenya's Deputy President William Ruto was set to attend the commissioning of the investment.

But authorities in Nairobi blocked Dr Ruto, Kenya's second in command from travelling to Uganda, for the "lack of travel papers". In an interview, DP Ruto accused government bureaucrats of "frustrating me due to impending political contests in 2020".

He dismissed claims that Aydin is linked to terrorist organizations, adding that the state is hell-bent to "harass me for no apparent reasons". In a tweet, Dr Ruto also accused the state of criminalizing investors for "political" reasons.

"Turkish investor, Harun Aydin, is a victim of top-down arrogance bred by patronage and cartels that criminalise enterprise," he said, adding that: "Importers' goods declared contraband, Africa spirits closed, keroche harassed, now an investor with valid papers labelled a terrorist. The tragedy of political pettiness."

The government of Kenya is yet to confirm the alleged deportation but most politicians allied to Dr Ruto confirmed it, while accusing the state of "arrogance". Aydin had been travelling to Kenya frequently but issues of terrorism had never been raised before.

In Kenya, the deputy president has been at loggerheads with his boss, President Uhuru Kenyatta, in what is closely associated with 2022 succession politics. The two, who were once close friends, rarely share platforms, with Uhuru accusing Ruto of "internal sabotage".

GAROWE ONLINE