Suspended Athletics Kenya boss loses appeal challenging dismissal by IAAF

Suspended Athletics Kenya Chief Executive Officer Isaac Mwangi has suffered a major blow after the IAAF Ethics Board rejected an appeal he had filed challenging his dismissal from the body.

Mwangi was suspended for allegedly soliciting for bribes from two female athletes; Joy Sakari Nakumincha and Fransesca Koki Manunga.

The evidence relied on for the imposition of the provisional suspension was contained in an article published by The Associated Press on February 10th, claiming that the two athletes attended a meeting with Mwangi where he asked for Ksh 2.5 million each in return for influencing the penalties that they would receive for their positive doping results.

In a statement, the Ethics Board said that it has dismissed Mwangi’s challenge on account that he has failed to identify anything (by way of evidence or analysis) which sufficiently undermines the prima facie (accepted as correct until proven otherwise) case.

In his challenge, Mwangi said that both athletes were found guilty of violating anti-doping rules, and are, “cheats” and “liars” and hence their evidence should not be trusted.

In addition he says that the athletes “admitted to doping by waiving their right to a ‘B’ sample analysis” and that as such they could not possibly have been assisted to avoid the penalty prescribed under the IAAF rules”.

Mwangi had earlier denied meeting the two athletes due to the very tight schedule of activities he had on that particular day.

The ethics board said that the athletes — who are both serving police officers — have since reiterated their allegations in signed written statements.

In a report read by ethics chair, Michael J Beloff QC, shows that Mwangi could not provide an alibi for the said day, the two athletes have been convicted of anti-doping rule violations, but that does not mean that they are necessarily lying and Mwangi would not have been able to influence the outcome of the athletes’ cases is not fully convincing.

In conclusion, the position, as far as the measuring stick of the integrity of sport is concerned, has not changed since the interim suspension was itself imposed.

Story by Charity & Wanja Ken Erickson Njeru

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IAAF Isaac Mwangi

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