Federico Rosa remanded after appearing in Kibera court

Rosa Associati Director, Federico Rosa appeared before Nairobi’s Kibera Principle Magistrate, Bernard Ochoi, on Wednesday morning and subsequently remanded for two days to allow police to complete investigations against him.

The prosecution wanted Federico, an Italian national, detained for three days with the court hearing that authorities are investigating allegations of doping.

In a miscellaneous application at the Kibera Law Court, the court was told the prosecution needs time to interrogate some of the affected athletes based in Eldoret and Nakuru and the Italian will return to court on Friday where charges against him will be preferred.

However Federico objected to the application by the prosecution saying that there is no evidence that he will interfere with witnesses if released before the said charges are preferred against him.

Federico and his father Gabrielle were quizzed at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters on Monday and Tuesday. However, Gabriele was not arraigned in court with the court due to deliver its verdict on Wednesday afternoon.

Rosa Associati was suspended for six months by Athletics Kenya (AK) last year on allegations of widespread doping  in their camps spread over Eldoret, Kaptagat and Kapsabet although the decision was lifted in October.

Tainted women’s marathon star; Rita Jeptoo who was suspended in 2014 and Matthew Kisorio, who finished his ban in July last year as well as women 800m runner, Agatha Jeruto are athletes formerly of the Rosa stable that have been suspended for doping violations.

The Rosas were first arrested and released by anti-narcotics officers in Eldoret on Friday where they had gone to watch the Kenyan Trials for Rio 2016.

Their travel documents were withheld before they were brought to Nairobi for interrogation.

At the same time, their former employee and fellow Italian, coach Claudio Berardelli who was arrested on Tuesday in Eldoret is expected to be quizzed at the DCI headquarters this afternoon over the same issue.

A number of athletes from Berardelli’s 2Running Club have accompanied the coach to Nairobi in solidarity.

Rosa and Berardelli ended their relationship last August after the latter’s contract expired.

Report by Walter Dzuya