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No Proof The Venezuelans Arrested At JKIA With IEBC Equipment Are Smartmatic Or IEBC Officials

SK 2 years ago 2 min read

The three Venezuelan nationals who were detained at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) carrying election materials have reportedly been identified as not working for the company Smartmatic International B.V., which the IEBC hired to supply the technology for the August 9th General Election.

On Thursday, July 21, arrests were made for Joel Gustavo Rodrguez Garca, Camargo Castellanos Jose Gregorio, and Salvador Javier Suarez for possessing election stickers.

While the IEBC asserts that the three were in the nation to carry out a legitimate contract involving the use of technology in elections, DCI has said that the three lacked any letter or other evidence proving that he had been invited by the commission.

“As per the contract dated 25th November 2021 between IEBC and M/S Smartmatic International Holding B.V vide tender no. IEBC/01T/001/21/2022-2021 the three suspects are not expressly indicated as employees of IEBC or Smartmatic International B.V,” the directorate said in a statement on Sunday.

According to the George Kinoti-led agency, the foreigners were in Kenya on invitation of someone identified as Abdulahi Abdi Mohamed.

“Further investigation conducted on Camargo Castellanos Jose Gregorio also showed that he had arrived in the country on a business visa on the invitation of one Abdulahi Abdi Mohamed to his office for work related activities via a letter addressed to the officer in charge of the visa section Embassy of Kenya on 18th July. 2022,” said DCI.

“Upon probing the suspect, it emerged that Mr. Camargo did not bear any letter or documentation indicating that he had been invited by IEBC and as such the materials in his possession belonged to Abdulahi Abdi Mohamed.”
The three were traveling with expired passports, the directorate added.

Salvador Javier Suarez was carrying 8 rolls of electoral stickers, while Gustavo was carrying 9.

A laptop, a monitor, five flash drives, among other computer peripherals, and rolls of electoral stickers, which he said were from his work, were all alleged to be in Gustavo’s bag at the time of his detention, according to the DCI.

“A further search was conducted at their apartment wherein the detectives seized and confiscated one tablet and two flash disks. All the seized electronic devices were forwarded to ATPU Forensic laboratory for examination and analysis,” the statement added.

Different parts of the government reacted to the detention of the three, with the IEBC describing it as “unjustified intimidation, harassment, and blackmail.”

The election board maintained that the polling materials had not been released as had been alleged and that Gustavo and the others had been released on conditions.

Later, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations rejected IEBC’s remarks, claiming that the purported OCS Anti-Terrorism Police Unit—before which the three Venezuelans were purportedly to appear—did not exist.