The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has revealed the identities of three Venezuelans who were arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Thursday, July 21.
In a press statement on Sunday morning, the directorate identified the three as Jose Gregorio Camargo Castellanos, Joel Gustavo Rodriguez Garcia and Salvador Javier Sosa Suarez.
According to DCI, Camargo arrived at JKIA on Thursday where his bag was found with 17 rolls of election materials of which 16 were printed and one was blank.
The George Kinoti-led directorate stated that he was incoherent and hesitant in answering questions by the police who had flagged his luggage.
DCI stated that the luggage had been checked in as personal luggage and no IEBC official was present at the airport to receive Camargo.
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“The officers were shocked how a foreigner all the way from Venezuela contracted for a very sensitive and high-level service supposedly by IEBC had nobody waiting for him and in particular to receive the sensitive confidential materials,” DCI stated.
The directorate stated that while Camargo was being interrogated, Garcia and Suarez came to ask about his whereabouts.
DCI further stated that the duo had arrived in the country on July 15, 2022, with a similar consignment that was undetected at the airport.
Garcia had carried nine rolls of election materials while Suarez carried eight.
DCI revealed that according to a contract between IEBC and M/S Smartmatic International Holding B.V, the three were not captured as employees o IEBC or Smartmatic International B.V.
Further investigations by DCI revealed that Camargo and Garcia had travelled using expired passports.
“On further investigations, it was established that Joel Gustavo Rodriguez Garcia and Jose Gregorio Camargo had travelled using expired passports from their mother country o Venezuela. Camargo passport number 115868706 expired on February 11, 2020. Garcia passport number 110336640 expired on November 13, 2019,” read the statement by Kinoti.
DCI further stated that during interrogation, Camargo could not give any contact of any person in Kenya and in particular of IEBC except of the apartment he was booked.
Kinoti went ahead to claim that IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati was insincere after he declared that the three were IEBC personnel.
"We find the Chairperson. Mr. Wafula Chebukati to be insincere and dishonest by declaring people who have been disowned by his own staff as IEBC personnel,” Kinoti stated.
DCI stated that the three will report to the director of the Anti-terrorism Police Unit (ATPU).
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