Italian coach Claudio detained for five days

Italian coach Claudio detained for five days

Italian athletics coach, Claudio Berardelli,  was denied bail by Nairobi’s Milimani Law Court and remanded for five days at Kileleshwa Police Station to allow police to complete investigations against him.

The trainer who was arrested his Eldoret home on Tuesday where he was held at Naiberi Police Station before being ferried to the capital will be arraigned in court and charges preferred against him next week.

The prosecution led by Duncan Ondimu explained to the court that police need more time to investigate doping allegations levelled against the coach who was first grilled at Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters before being arraigned in Milimani.

Berardelli who was accompanied by some of his famous charges in support was quizzed for a few hours before being driven off to Milimani to take plea.

Osaka 2007 world champion Beijing 2008 Beijing Olympics women 800m silver medallist Janeth Jepkosgei, Moscow 2013 world champion, Eunice Sum and Moscow silver winner, Mercy Cherono flanked their coach.

Other athletes from his Kapsabet based  2 Running Club waited patiently for him at the courts.

The athletes have been by the side of their beloved trainer since Tuesday evening when the received news of his arrest from his home at Elgon View Estate in Eldoret.

They camped outside the Naiberi Police Station until the wee hours of the morning not minding the cold weather as they waited for information about his arrest in vain.

Berardelli came to Kenya as an employee of Italian firm Rosa Associati but parted ways after his contract expired last August amid a doping controversy in their camp.

The athletes present were clearly upset with the development maintaining their coach is innocent claiming he is being fixed.

On the same day Berardelli was remanded, his former boss at Rosa Associati, Federico Rosa, was also denied bail and held for two days and will be arraigned at the Kibera Law Court.

He is also being held over investigation into doping.

“The situation is really affecting us especially now that we are still preparing for the Olympics. They have not told us what are the charges but I believe that my coach is innocent. Since he has not even been told who  are accusing him. ” Cherono told reporters.

Her training partners were too distraught to speak to the press.

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