IAAF to probe Athletics Kenya vice-president David Okeyo

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Ethics Commission will investigate Athletics Kenya vice-president David Okeyo after the long-serving athletics official was questioned by Directorate of Criminal Investigations officers over corruption claims.

Okeyo, a member of IAAF’s ruling council, is alleged to have syphoned off funds from a sponsorship deal between Athletics Kenya and multinational sportswear giant Nike along with two other officials.

REPERCUSSIONS

If found guilty, Okeyo could lose his seat as member of the IAAF council as well as the AK vice-presidency.

Okeyo alongside outgoing AK President Isaiah Kiplagat and former AK treasurer Joseph Kinyua were questioned by Kenyan detectives in April this year over the claims.

Okeyo on Sunday denied any wrongdoing, saying the detectives who questioned him have never given him any feedback.

The negative headlines come at a bad time for Athletics Kenya which is grappling with doping cases among local athletes and bribery scandals that threaten the sport’s image.

Okeyo said nobody has come back to him after his interview with the detectives.

WHISTLEBLOWER CLAIMS

“I was called (by detectives) and gave my version of the story. Nike officials have also been interviewed and we have heard nothing since having the session with the detectives,” Okeyo said.

“If there was something serious then someone should have come back to us since it’s all in black and white. There is nothing to hide,” he added.

“An investigation by The Sunday Times and the German broadcaster ARD/WDR has uncovered a sworn affidavit in which a whistleblower claimed that the officials syphoned off close to Sh71.4 million ( $700,000  or 650,000 euros) out of the federation’s (AK’s) bank account, most of it in cash. He (the whistleblower) says he reported his concerns to the police,” the Sunday Times reported on Sunday.

The British newspaper added that a case file on the alleged corruption has been handed to Kenya’s Office of the Department of Public Prosecutions.

The allegations came as news to the IAAF, whose newly-elected president Sebastian Coe has come in for intense criticism for retaining his role as an ambassador for Nike.

“The IAAF was not aware of the investigation into Okeyo in Kenya and the information has immediately been passed on to the independent IAAF Ethics Commission,” IAAF said Sunday in a statement.

“As part of the root and branch governance reform project that Sebastian Coe has announced, there will be new processes introduced to ensure all persons appointed to IAAF Commissions  and advisory groups in the future have been duly vetted and declared as ‘fit and proper persons’ to hold office.

“Over 200 people were due to be appointed to new Commissions and advisory groups at the Council meeting at the end of this month but their appointment will now be delayed until the new procedures are in place,” the IAAF statement further said.

IAAF'S DETERIORATING IMAGE

Okeyo denies any wrongdoing, but the investigation heaps further embarrassment on the IAAF, which on Friday provisionally suspended Russia from all competition after a report commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) alleged the country had been involved in state-sponsored doping.

Former IAAF president Lamine Diack, his son Papa Massata Diack, advisor Habib Cisse and the former IAAF anti-doping chief Gabriel Dolle are all being investigated by French police over allegations they were complicit in covering up Russian doping, allegations they deny.

The Sunday Times reported a response from Nike, in which a spokesman for the firm said it had acted with “integrity” in its dealings with AK and that the “expectation and understanding” of the AK sponsorship deal was that the funds would be “used to support and service the teams and athletes”. The spokesman added that Nike was co-operating with the local authorities in their investigation.