On Monday, Joy Juice Store owner Steven Okeke called the entire media to say that his workers had been threatened to stop working with him.
He alluded to some vast conspiracy - presumably because he is such a major political threat.
It sounded a little farfetched to us and we told him as much - and today more doubters appeared as a former employee at his story came forward to say she had not been threatened - essentially she was relieved of her post at Okeke's directive.
Kimberly Arzu called into KREM's WUB this morning and what unfolded over the next 20 minutes was a near-complete undoing of Okeke. We have excerpts of that show, plus we spoke with Arzu herself:..
Voice of: Steven Okeke
"The Callers mention themselves by name; did they identify themselves by name?"
Sharon Marin, KREM's WUB
"NO, NO NO"
Jules Vasquez reporting
And with that Okeke started with another conspiracy.
Okeke
"Somebody is calling me by name to make accusations that will impugn on my reputation; it's also very important and unethical that the person should identify themselves by name."
Then he put an employee on the line
Voice of Male Employee
"Well I didn't receive any treats actually it's the ladies that received them."
Mose Hyde, KREM's WUB
"All the ladies received threats?"
Voice of Male Employee
"Right, all the ladies received threats and about two of them came in the morning to hand over their keys because they said they are getting threatened and they didn't want to work anymore."
So what happened when one of those ladies who had handed in her keys called in?
Kimberly Arzu, Okeke Employee was not threatened.
"He was the same one that told me that Mr. Okeke said that I should turn in may key even though I was already opened on Monday. I was never threatened, my family was never threatened."
"He should to pin point who are being threatened and who are not being threatened, because I never got a threat and I am working there for 6 months."
So then Okeke called back - which led to conference call.
Mose Hyde
"You came forward and you said that these employees turned in their keys because they didn't feel safe, they felt threatened. Kimberly Arzu is saying she wasn't threatened. She was instructed to turn in the keys."
Okeke
"I was not here when she brought in her keys."
Mose Hyde, KREM's WUB
"She was instructed to give in her keys, brother Okeke."
And to clear up the confusion we spoke to Kimberly herself who explained that she was instructed to bring in her key.
Jules Vasquez
"Have you stopped working, did you receive a threat to stop working?"
Kimberly Arzu, Okeke employee - was not threatened.
"I never stopped working, I received no threat I am still waiting to hear the threat, to hear what is the threat that was being issued, I still haven't heard or seen or spoken to Mr. Okeke about the threat, so no I haven't gotten any threat, from anyone to myself or to my family."
Jules Vasquez
"So what did you think when you heard him with this story on Monday?"
Kimberly Arzu
"You know, I don't even know what to think because here I am now without a job, someone else has the job and I am still not sure what's happening. And what to think if I am fired or what's the issue here."
Jules Vasquez
"So what's the last instruction you received?"
Kimberly Arzu
"The last instruction I received on Monday the 19th at 9 O'clock was to bring in the key to the main office on Cemetery Road and hand in the key and to go home and await further instructions."
Jules Vasquez
"Were you explained why you should do that?"
Kimberly Arzu
"No explanation, I am still waiting for the explanation right now."
Jules Vasquez
"So then the first explanation you got was later on in the day, in the news."
Kimberly Arzu
"That was the first time I heard about the threat, when I turned on the 10 o'clock news on Monday night."
And this mother of two says the issue is not threats - it's that he doesn't want to pay them:
Kimberly Arzu
"He still owes me a hundred dollars from the 17th, he didn't pay us all from the 10th he didn't us, he didn't give us a reason why he didn't pay us or why he was cutting the pay short, nothing like that. He didn't pay us on the 10th."
Jules Vasquez
"He didn't pay you at all or part payment?"
Kimberly Arzu
"No nothing at all on the 10th, and then he came the 17th he came and only gave us $200 dollars."
Jules Vasquez
"When you should have gotten?"
Kimberly Arzu
"$300 dollars."
Jules Vasquez
"For the two weeks, the 10th and the 17th."
Kimberly Arzu
"That's right, he only paid us $150 for the 10th and $50 dollars for the 17th. So now comes Monday morning I am out of a job and still haven't received the rest of my money."
Jules Vasquez
"So now you issue right now is?"
Kimberly Arzu
"My issue right now is the money; I mean come on Christmas is here."
Jules Vasquez
"He said on radio this morning he would pay you by Saturday."
Kimberly Arzu
"Not even that I'd known about."
Jules Vasquez
"Yes but, Saturday is Christmas Eve, do you think you will get pay?"
Kimberly Arzu
"I have no idea."
Jules Vasquez
"You're out of a job, you're out of money and it is Christmas."
Kimberly Arzu
"I know."
Jules Vasquez
"But you don't seem bitter."
Kimberly Arzu
"Of course not I won't be bitter, it's only money the thing that is hurting me, is the principle of how everything played out."
Arzu's job at the Poundyard juice shop has now been taken up by someone else. She had been working with Okeke since June.
