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Kenyan athletics officials step aside to allow probe into doping, graft

Xinhua, November 25, 2015 Adjust font size:

After two days siege by athletes led by Olympic marathon bronze medalist Wilson Kipsang, Kenya's athletics officials agreed to step down to allow full investigation by the government.

   However, Athletics Kenya (AK) vice president, David Okeyo, who is also serving as a member of the IAAF Council, said he will not relinquish his slot in the global body even as inquiry into his role in the sponsorship deal with Nike who paid 500,000 U.S. dollars to secure a ten-year deal to brand Kenya team goes on.

   "I have nothing more to add on what I have said before. But I have been forced to resign from Athletics Kenya, but I will continue to hold my role at the IAAF," said Okeyo Wednesday in Nairobi.

   His colleague, AK president Isaiah Kiplagat, who has tried to make a comeback to office, was also unceremoniously kicked out and agreed to pack his bags to allow investigations as athletes blamed the two officials of placing Kenya at risk of international ban for abetting doping and graft.

   "We agreed to move in to restore sanity because they had laid siege on the offices of athletics and no work was going on. We will also discuss the issues raised by the athletes to see if we can resolve the matter. We believe in the rule of the law. Both the suspended officials and athletes must exercise respect of the law," Sports Commissioner Gordon Oluoch said on Wednesday in Nairobi.

   On Tuesday, the athletes were joined by their top representatives Wilson Kipsang and Wesley Korir, a member of Parliament and former Boston Marathon champion for the protest to demand action from government in the management of athletics.

   The two-day protest ended late on Tuesday after the two parties reached an agreement to end the crisis.

   The agreement, brokered by the Kenyan sports ministry, called for an amendment in the AK constitution to give the athletes more say, and for the officials implicated in alleged corruption, to step aside.

   But even then, Okeyo remained adamant he has nothing to prove to anyone over his conduct in the sponsorship deal.

   "I can't resign from IAAF. I have not been convicted of any offense and despite investigation by Kenyan police, there has been nothing coming up to tie me down for any wrong doing," Okeyo said.

   Okeyo, together with Kiplagat and former treasurer Joseph Kinyua, is alleged to have siphoned off funds from a sponsorship deal between the national association and sportswear firm Nike. 

   The negative headlines come at a bad time for IAAF, who are already dealing with doping and bribery scandals that threaten the sport's image. IAAF President Seb Coe said they will wait for full investigation on Okeyo to decide his fate.  Endi