Hassan Wario, Kipchoge Keino arrested over Rio Olympics scandal

Arrested: Former Sports CS Hassan Wario and ex-NOCK Chair Kipchoge Keino. [Courtesy]

Kenya’s Ambassador to Austria Hassan Wario and athletics legend Kipchoge Keino were on Thursday arrested after turning themselves in to police over Rio Olympics scandal.

Also arrested were former director of administration Haron Komen and former finance officer Patrick Kimithi Nkabu in the sports ministry.

They had reported to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters at about 5:30 am to beat a court deadline.

Police said they were accompanied by lawyer Cecil Miller.

Wario had arrived from Vienna on Wednesday evening ahead of the session with police. Keino was also away in Mexico.

After arriving at DCI they were taken in for processing with their fingerprints being taken before they were informed they were under arrest.

They are formally expected to take plea on Friday but there was a push to release them on police bond ahead of the arraignment.

Anti-Corruption Court magistrate Douglas Ogoti on Monday directed them to present themselves DCI by 6 am Thursday, failure to which warrants of arrest would be issued against them.

Wario is expected to face six counts of abuse of office. [Courtesy]

Ogoti also ordered that the four appear before him on Friday at 8.30 a.m to take pleas.

Wario is a former Sports Cabinet Secretary. He is expected to face six counts of abuse of office while Keino will face one.

According to prosecution, Wario improperly conferred a benefit to six individuals by financing their travel to the Rio Olympics, causing loss of public funds amounting to Sh5, 846,346.

He allegedly conferred a benefit of Sh1, 506,391 each to Mr Adan Omar Enow and James Gitau Singh.

Mr Richard Bura and Ms Monica Sairo were allegedly paid Sh918, 391 each while Eunice Kerich and Samuel Njuguna Sh498,391 each too.

The four-time Olympic gold medalist Keino, will be charged with allocating his son Ian Kipchoge Keino Sh2.5 million for air ticket and allowances during the 2016 Olympics.

The prosecution said Nkabu failed to comply with guidelines on the management of public funds that led to misuse of Sh22,540,800 while Komen allegedly authorized unlawful payment in excess of Sh15.3 million as allowances to the members of the Kenyan team.

On Monday, Kenya's ambassador to Russia who is also former sports Principal Secretary Richard Titus Ekai together with ex- NOCK officials Stephen Kiptanui arap Soi and Francis Kinyili Paul were charged over the Rio scandal.

They were however freed on Sh1 million cash bail as well as personal bond of a similar amount.

The court ordered that all the accused persons to deposit their passports before it but are liberty to apply for them if need be.

The court also ordered that should any of the accused persons present any sureties intended to be used to secure their freedom pending trial, they should be verified by the DCI.