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Hassan Wario (centre), the Cabinet secretary for Sports, Culture and the
Arts, receives the Rio 2016 Probe Committee's report from the group's
chairman Paul Ochieng in the presence of other panel members at Kencom
House in Nairobi on October 28, 2016. PHOTO
By NATION TEAM
Top officials in the Sports ministry embezzled Sh88 million
meant for air tickets to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, a probe into one of
Kenya’s most controversial sporting outings shows.
Those found culpable will be prosecuted if the recommendations of a tribunal that investigated the debacle are adopted.
The
report, by the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games Probe Committee, was
handed to President Uhuru Kenyatta by Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan
Wario last week.
It also
expresses concern about the misappropriation of funds paid to the
National Olympic Committee of Kenya (Nock) by American sportswear
manufacturer Nike, which supplies training and competition uniforms to
Kenyan teams.
Information obtained by the Nation
on Thursday revealed that the investigating team, led by Strathmore
University Dean of Students Paul Ochieng, discovered that Sh88,611,480
meant for air tickets to the August event was misappropriated.
The
team recommended that action be taken against the culprits in the
disappearance of the cash at the Ministry of Sports, Culture and the
Arts. It also said Nock should account for the Sh126 million per year it
receives from Nike on behalf of athletes.
Sources on Thursday said President
Kenyatta is expected to make the report public and announce measures to
be taken against those adversely mentioned in it.
According
to the investigating team, an eight-year (2013-2020) contract between
Nock and Nike needs an overhaul as it is heavily skewed in favour of the
American sportswear manufacturer.
PROFESSIONAL SELECTION
The
committee also recommends professional selection of Kenya’s future
teams to international competitions as the one for the Rio Games was
unfair, “especially in rugby and track and field”.
Despite
a series of management blunders, Kenya bagged its biggest ever medal
haul at the Olympics held in Brazil, winning six gold, six silver and
one bronze medals.
This performance broke the previous record of six gold, four silver and four bronze medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Nock
assistant treasurer Stephen Soi, treasurer Fridah Shiroya and
vice-chairman Pius Ochieng, along with secretary Francis Kinyili Paul,
have since appeared in court to answer to charges related to the games.
On
Thursday, sources said, on condition of anonymity because of the
sensitivity of the matter, that cash bonuses from Nike for Olympic and
Commonwealth Games medal winners had never reached the athletes.
Nike
gives $15,000 (Sh1.5 million) to Nock for each gold medal won at the
Olympic Games, $7,500 (Sh750,000) for silver and $5,000 (Sh500,000) for
bronze.
“Even though the cash
is payable to Nock, a large percentage of such bonus payment must
trickle down to the individual athletes winning these medals,” said a
source privy to the discussions that led to the signing of the Nike deal
with Nock.
Kenyan athletes who
have previously won Olympic medals — including the reigning 5,000
metres champion Vivian Cheruiyot, former 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop
and multiple steeplechase medallist Ezekiel Kemboi — told the Nation they had never been paid any Nike bonuses for their medals.
AFTER COMPETITIONS
According
to the contract, the medal bonuses are payable 60 days after the
individual competitions — meaning that medal winners at Rio ought to
have been paid a share of the medal bonuses by now.
On
Thursday, it emerged that ministry officials had refused to pay Dr
Ochieng’s team for their work, demanding that they be given a copy of
the report first before releasing the money.
Members
of the committee, which handed the report to Dr Wario on October 28,
read malice in the failure by some operatives in the ministry to release
their payments.
“We signed the
claim forms on October 28, when we presented the report to Dr Wario,
who directed the ministry’s accounting officers to pay us, but they have
declined, saying we must give them copies of the report,” said Dr
Ochieng on Thursday.
Added the
don: “They should ask for the report from the appointing authority, who
is Dr Wario, and not us. The officials suspect that they are adversely
mentioned in the report, hence they want to get hold of it so as to
doctor it or hit back.”
Dr
Wario, Sports Principal Secretary Richard Ekai and Director of
Administration Harun Komen were unavailable for comment by the time we
went to press.
SOURCE; DAILY NATION
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