Deputy President William Ruto has described the mistreatment of Harun Aydin as political pettiness. [File, Standard]
Deputy President William Ruto has revealed details of a private call he had with Turkish businessman Harun Aydin just hours after his controversial deportation.
In a tweet on Monday, the DP said he called Aydin and apologised to him on behalf of the government following his ‘controversial deportation’ on Sunday night.
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Ruto described the arrest, torture and profiling of the businessman before being asked to fly out after the government had nothing to charge him with as political pettiness.
“Just talked and apologised on behalf of the government to Aydin, now in Turkey, who was politically arrested, tortured and falsely profiled as a ‘terrorist’ but later asked to fly out not to ashame those involved,” he wrote adding that political pettiness was expensive and dangerous.
Aydin was who was expected to accompany Ruto to his aborted Uganda trip reportedly left the country aboard a Turkish Airlines flight between Sunday and Monday morning.
Senior lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi and his team who were at Kahawa law courts ahead of Aydin’s case confirmed to the media that indeed he had left the country.
Other lawyers who were to represent Aydin were Cohen Amanya and Hillary Sigei, who said he boarded Turkish Airlines and was expected to land in Turkey shortly.
Aydin was arrested on Saturday upon returning from Kampala and after a stay in custody over the weekend was expected at Kahawa Law Courts in Kiambu to answer to terrorism charges.
Since his arrest on Saturday, Aydin was being held at the Nairobi Area anti-terrorism police unit (ATPU).
DP Ruto condemned Aydin’s arrest terming it a tragedy of political pettiness.
He said the investor was a victim of top-down arrogance bred by patronage and cartels that criminalise enterprise.
“Turkish investor, Aydin Harun, is a victim of top-down arrogance bred by patronage and cartels that criminalise enterprise. Importers’ goods declared contraband, Africa spirits closed, Keroche harassed, now an investor with valid papers labelled a terrorist. The tragedy of political pettiness,” Ruto posted on Twitter.
Aydin was on the same flight as DP Ruto to Kampala but the authorities barred the DP from travelling.
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