Hassan Wario, Richard Ekai fate lies with DPP, says court

Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario (right) and his former Principal Secretary Richard Ekai appear before a Parliamentary committee on September 6, 2016 on the Rio scandal. Ekai was on March 31, 2017 replaced as the Principal Secretary, Sports Development by Amb. Peter Kaberia. PHOTO | FILE |

What you need to know:

  • Ondimu had told the court last year that Wario and Ekai were being treated as “state witnesses”.

The fate of Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario and his Principal Secretary Richard Ekai over the multi-million scandal that rocked Kenya’s Olympic Games campaign last year will be decided by the Director of Public Prosecutions, a Nairobi court was told on Tuesday.

A state prosecutor, Duncan Ondimu, told Milimani Law Courts chief magistrate Francis Andayi that immediately DPP Keriako Tobiko receives the investigation report from the Director of Criminal Investigations Ndegwa Muhoro, he will make “a decision whether to prosecute them or treat them as prosecution witnesses against the four National Olympic Committee of Kenya (Nock) officials charged with theft of over Sh23.9 million and games kit.”

Ondimu was responding to concerns by lawyers Edward Rombo, Kimutai Bosek and Moreen Okoth, who are defending top Nock officials charged afresh over the Rio Olympic team’s financial and uniform scandal.

Ondimu had told the court last year that Wario and Ekai were being treated as “state witnesses” but changed gears when he was asked by Rombo to supply him with their recorded statements.

“We want to know whether Mr Wario and Mr Ekai are still state witnesses, and, if so, let the prosecution supply us with their statements,” said Rombo who is defending Nock vice-chairman Pius Ochieng.

Last month, the DPP recommended that Wario and Ekai be charged over the loss of millions from the Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts.

It is alleged that over Sh80 million was lost in the Rio scandal.