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IAAF rejects Athletics Kenya chief Isaac Mwangi corruption appeal
Suspended Athletics Kenya Chief Executive Officer Isaac Mwangi. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |
What you need to know:
- Mwangi was suspended in February after runners Joy Sakari and Francisca Koki Manunga said he sought bribes to reduce their four-year doping bans.
- The Kenyan official denied any wrongdoing and challenged the ban last month.
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Ethics Board (EB) has dismissed suspended Athletics Kenya CEO, Isaac Mwangi’s appeal against his suspension for alleged corruption.
Mwangi was banned for six months in February pending investigations into allegations that he solicited for bribes from drug cheats Francisca Koki and Joyce Sakari so as to have their bans reduced. While dismissing Mwangi’s appeal, EB chairman Michael Beloff, Akira Kawamura and Thomas Murray, indicated that the integrity of the sport could be seriously undermined if the provisional suspension was lifted.
The panel explained that Mwangi did not identify anything, by way of analysis and evidence, which undermined the prima facie case, which in effect act as a “knockout blow”.
They said Mwangi - in his challenge - only relied on the fact that the two athletes had been found guilty of violating anti-doping rules hence they are “cheats” and “liars” and should not be trusted.
The panel noted that Mwangi’s suspension was not punitive but a precautionary measure as they await the results from ongoing investigations by veteran Kenyan lawyer Sharad Rao.
“The integrity of the sport could be seriously undermined if we did not maintain a provisional suspension,” said the panel.
