Beleaguered coach Berardelli out on cash bail
Coach Claudio Berardelli arrives at the Athletics Kenya headquarters in Nairobi for the hearing of Rita Jeptoo's doping case on January 15, 2015. PHOTO | FILE |
What you need to know:
- Berardelli has been in custody since July 5.
- Ogembo ordered him to deposits his passport in court then appear on July 18, 2016 for further directions.
International Athletics coach Claudio Berardelli who is being investigated by Police over doping has been released by a court on a cash bail of Sh200,000.
Berardelli, an Italian national aged 36, has been offering coaching services for the last 11 years to Kenyan athletes. Some of the athletes on Tuesday thronged the Milimani Law Courts, Nairobi, to give him moral support.
At least 10 of the athletes in Berardelli’s stable, among them former 800 metres world champion Janeth Jepkosgei, marathoner Dickson Chumba, Alfred Yego, Priscah Jeptoo and world 800m bronze medallist Eunice Sum attended the court session where State prosecutor, Duncan Ondimu, requested to have Berardelli detained for a further 10 days to facilitate in-depth investigations into doping which has threatened Kenya’s participation the Rio Olympic Games.
HAS BEEN IN CUSTODY
Berardelli has been in custody since July 5. But Ondimu’s request was vehemently opposed by city lawyer Julius Kemboy.
Mr Kemboy argued that Kenyan police are not better placed to investigate doping than the International Athletics Association Federation (IAAF) which banned a Kenyan Athlete Mathew Kisorio for two years after admitting he bought the doping substances himself.
“In the investigations conducted by IAAF, Berardelli has never mentioned having been involved. The police should have called for the evidence collected by IAAF to read first before moving to shame this internationally re-known athletics coach who has invested his youth and money to better Kenyan athletes,” Kemboy said.
He urged Chief Magistrate Daniel Ogembo to decline the request by the Director of Public Prosecutions to have Berardelli remanded in police custody for 10 days as he is investigated over doping.
In his ruling, Mr Ogembo said: “Athletics is a national heritage and courts will not cow away from defending it jealously.”
He said the DPP has not tendered any compelling reasons to warrant Berardelli’s further detention.
Ogembo ordered him to deposits his passport in court then appear on July 18, 2016 for further directions.
