Kenya's Olympic officials grilled over Rio mismanagement

Three arrested National Olympics Committee-Kenya (NOCK) officials recorded statements and were grilled at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters in Nairobi on Saturday morning over their role in the mismanagement of the country's team to the Rio 2016 Olympics.

NOCK secretary general, Francis K. Paul, team Head of Mission, Stephen arap Soi and his deputy, James Chacha, spent the night behind bars at a police station north-east of the Kenyan capital after being apprehended by DCI officers on Friday.

At the same time, cartons of official Team Kenya kit from sponsors Nike was recovered from the Olympics body's headquarter in Nairobi and in the homes of the officials following a police raid with authorities due to charge them in court on Monday.

"Yes, we have detained them and they recorded statements with the DCI as investigations continue into the Rio 2016 mess," a source in the DCI department who is not authorised to speak to the media confirmed.

Paul was arrested in Nairobi on Friday evening before officers pounced on Soi and Chacha as soon as they touched down at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport from Brazil before they were driven to join their colleague.

This comes after the country's government disbanded NOCK on Thursday following pressure from the public and the directive from President Uhuru Kenyatta for the scandal to be investigated and those responsible brought to book.

The officials are accused of mismanagement of the athletes who brought the country her best ever Olympics performance of six gold, six silver and a bronze, taking a large number of joy riders to Rio at taxpayers'expense and pilfering and then selling off official kit that left the competitors threadbare.

Meanwhile, the last batch of returning members of Team Kenya to the Rio 2016 Olympics narrated the horrors they went through at the hands of Nock officials when they landed home from Brazil.

Having witnessed Soi and Chacha arrested, there was little sympathy on the officials as they told of the mistreatment accorded to them especially after the Olympics Village was officially closed on Aug. 24.

Marathoner and team Captain Wesley Kipchumba Korir, who is also a parliamentarian representing Cherangany Constituency in the lower house told reporters of their ordeal in Brazil.

"These guys (NOCK officials) are so full of themselves but this time we felt enough was enough. There was so much emotional distress within the camp built up right from the day we left the country and for every day we spent in Rio," the 33-year-old said.

The father of three cited the dictatorial leadership of Chef-de-Mission as the root of all the chaos claiming there was no structured communication channel among the team's handlers with Soi demanding to control everything.

"I was dressed in oversize kit and it was so shameful that I had to take it upon myself to confront Nike officials on the issue. But these things have always existed; so much that athletes have come to terms with living this kind of a life. Even Paul Tergat went through this,"the parliamentarian who was debuting for his nation in international competition lamented. 

Source : XINHUA