Nock case postponed, prosecutor in no-show

The case against three National Olympics Committee of Kenya (Nock) officials scheduled for Monday morning was inadvertently deferred after the leader of prosecution, Duncan Ondimu, failed to show up for the proceedings.

The matter, which was brought before Chief Magistrate Daniel Ogembo at Nairobi’s Milimani Law courts was forced to adjournment after it emerged Ondimu was engaged in another court session for the better part of the day.

The three – Chef de Mission for Team Kenya for the 2016 Rio Olympics Games Stephen arap Soi and his co-accused, Nock vice-president, Pius Ochieng and Secretary General, FK Paul – were charged on September 28 where they denied five charges including of stealing USD256,000 (Ksh 25,907,705.82) from Government, National Olympics Committee-Kenya (Nock) and Athletics Kenya.

Joint charges facing Ochieng and FK include fraudulently acquiring Team Kenya kit from Nike.

The country burst into uproar over the maltreatment that its world beaters were put through in the hands of the embattled body in a scandal that saw President Uhuru Kenyatta call for investigations, Sports CS Hassan Wario disband the organization and the officials arrested by police upon their arrival from the Rio 2016 Olympics Games.