POLICE QUESTION ROSAS: Italian managers of some of Kenya's top athletes, Gabrielle and son Federico grilled over doping claims

Dr. Gabrielle Rosa of Rosa Associati follows the National Junior Trials Championship at Nyayo stadium on June 21, 2016.[PHOTO:DENNIS OKEYO/STANDARD]

Embattled Italian track and field agent Gabrielle Rosa and his son Federicco were questioned for the second day yesterday by the Anti-Narcotics Police in Nairobi over doping claims.

Rosa, the silver-haired agent, who runs a number of training camps in Nandi, Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo Marakwet counties has managed some of Kenya's most successful athletes.

The move comes barely a month before Rio Olympic Games where Rosa's son (now the manager) is expected to lead his charges to the Olympics.

Some of the high profile clienst under his stable innclude world 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop and London Marathon runner-up Stanley Biwott as well as Botswana's Olympic 800m silver medalist Nijel Amos. Others are Ethiopia's Ibrahim Jeilan (10,000m) and Tariku Bekele (10,000m and 5,000m)

Contacted by FeverPitch, Federico said: "No problem really, we are just cooperating with CIDs in their investigation. Previously, our camp was under investigation and we were cleared of any wrong doing and since the new anti-doping law came into place, the enforcers are investigating doping in the country and they contacted us to give them information what we know.

"And this is good, it will help clear our camp completely and also help protect our senior athletes. So nothing big and we are cooperating further," Federico said.

Rosa and his son Federico were grilled for hours at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (Ant-Narcotics Unit) on Monday and Tuesday.

The two had been arrested last Friday and their passports taken away by a team of officers in Eldoret town where trials for Rio Olympics were being held.

This was a day after their arrival in Kenya. Head of anti-narcotics unit Hamis Masa said they were investigating some aspects of drug usage.

"They were recording statements over some claims that are under investigation. There is nothing much and if any we will know later," he said.

The two handled former Chicago and Boston marathon champion Rita Jeptoo, who will today know if her appeal case launched at the Council of Arbitration for Sports to overturn a four-year ban for doping will be upheld.

Jeptoo was at DCI headquarters, Kiambu Road, where Rosa and his son were. It is not clear if she was also grilled but officials said she was summoned there.

Jeptoo who won Boston and Chicago Marathons in 2013 and 2014 was handed a two-year suspension by Athletics Kenya after producing positive drug test results for the performance drug, Erythropoietin (EPO).

The World Anti- Doping Agency extended the suspension to four years, which prompted Jeptoo to lodge an appeal.

A number of athletes under Rosa & Associates Sports Management Company have been found positive in dope tests including the 2014 world 4x800 silver medallist Agatha Jeruto and Mathew Kisorio, the 2008 world junior 5,000m silver medalist and now a marathon runner. Over 40 mostly low profile Kenyan athletes have tested positive for prohibited substances in the last three years alone. –Report by Jonathan Komen, Cyrus Ombati and Dennis Okeyo