Coach Claudio released on Ksh200,000 cash bail

Italian coach, Claudio Berardelli who is being investigated on doping related charges was on Tuesday released on a cash bail of Ksh200,000 or alternative bond of Ksh500,000 with surety of same amount by Nairobi’s Milimani Law Court.

Berardelli who has been in remand since last Thursday when he first appeared in court is supposed to appear on Friday before the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (CID) before returning to the dock next Monday together with three medics charged with the same offences.

Milimani Chief Magistrate; Daniel Okebo, overruled the prosecution led by Duncan Ondimu to detain the coach for ten more days to complete investigations with police fearing the Italian would interfere with witnesses.

“Our fears and suspicions have been confirmed in an affidavit that was filed yesterday (Monday) by Matthew Kisorio. It indicates possible interference of the witness by the respondent,” Ondimu, the Principal Prosecution Counsel in the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), argued.

Kisorio, the 2007 African junior double distance champion brought an affidavit to court last Friday claiming that someone was out to fix his former employer and Rosa Associati director, Federico Rosa who is also out on bail.

He brought another submission to court on Tuesday absolving the coach from involvement in doping activities and the prosecution argued he could not be traced when he was due to record a witness statement in Kapsabet with investigating officers.

In response, Julius Kemboi who was holding brief for Berardelli argued he had spent four days in custody without being interrogated by the CID and was only questioned for five hours on Monday evening.

“We recorded the statement under the guidance of the CID who took his fingerprints and assured him they would charge him today (Tuesday). On July 6, the State requested five days to travel to Kisumu, Kapsabet, Kaptagat and other counties to do their investigations.

“The fact that they want more days to be added means they have not been doing their work adequately,” Kemboi who caused the case to be adjourned to the afternoon when he requested more time since he was not available in the morning argued.

“I have considered both submissions from the DPP and respondent. The said affidavit does not determine whether the respondent is released or not. In the five days, three other suspects have been independently arrested and charged in court and Claudio was interviewed on Monday at 6:45pm (+3GMT).

“Having considered several factor, no issue has been raised whether the respondent is needed for further investigation and there is no claim that the correspondent will abscond if granted bail,” Okebo ruled in granting the bail.

-Eleven years-

The coach who has spent 11 years training top Kenyan athletes including three who are headed to the Rio 2016 Olympics was declared as a person of interest by authorities in the ongoing investigations against the vice since his name was mentioned several times in Rita Jeptoo’s affidavit and several others from various athletes.

The prosecution intends to consolidate his case with that of three medics; Dr. Samson Talei and Ken Kipchumba, a former and current employee of Eldoret’s St. Luke’s Hospital and Trauma Centre as well as Joseph Karuri Mwangi who operates a herbal clinic in the same town who have been remanded on charges related to doping.

Jeptoo, the convicted EPO drug cheat is among the high profile Kenyan athletes under Berardelli but they parted ways with the coach after both of her samples returned adverse findings for the banned blood booster following an out of competition test in Eldoret in September 2014.

The three-time Boston and twice Chicago marathon winner was banned by Athletics Kenya for two years in January last year and her appeal to stay the suspension at the Court for Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to counter a case brought by world governing body, IAAF, was heard last Thursday.

It is reported Jeptoo hang up on CAS when following proceedings through the phone when her defense counsel and AK withdrew from her case citing prejudice against the athlete receiving a fair trial.

In her first and only media interview since her drug bust in September last year, the disgraced female marathoner exonerated Berardelli from any blame in the actions that led to her positive test that saw her barred from defending her Chicago title in the fall of 2014, saying the Italian was innocent.

New York Marathon winner, Stanley Biwott, Moscow 2013 World Champion, Eunice Sum and Moscow 2013 silver winner, Mercy Cherono who are headed to Rio are coached by Berardelli who established the 2Running Club with several of his distance runners.

During the hearing, a number of high profile charges of the Italian were in court in solidarity with their coach.

Besides Cherono and Sum, Osaka 2007 champion and Beijing 2008 Olympics women 800m silver medallist, Janeth Jepkosgei, Chicago Marathon winner, Dickson Chumba, Paris Marathon titleholder, Cyprian Kotut, Rome Marathon crownholder, Amos Kipruto as well as retired Osaka 2007 gold medallist and Beijing 2008 bronze winner in men 800m, Alfred Kirwa Yego were present.

The 2006 World Cross junior champion, Pauline Korikwiang was also at Milimani.

Just before the judge read his ruling, Jepkosgei who is expecting her first child was overcome by emotions and burst into tears and had to be escorted out of the courtroom.

Berardelli’s tribulations started on July 5 when he was arrested at his Elgon View Estate home in Eldoret and detained overnight before he was transported to Nairobi the following day and grilled at the CID headquarters.

He was later brought before Milimani last Wednesday where he was remanded for five days.

 

Tags:

doping Rita Jeptoo Claudio Berardelli

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