• Athletics Kenya vice-president David Okeyo referred to IAAF ethics committee
• Okeyo, a member of the IAAF’s ruling council, denies any wrongdoing
the conduct of David Okeyo, a member of the IAAF’s ruling council, will be referred to the organisation’s ethics commission after it was revealed he is the subject of a police investigation in his native Kenya .
Okeyo, a vice-president of Athletics Kenya and a member of the International Association of Athletics Federations’ council, is alleged to have siphoned off funds from a sponsorship deal between the national association and the sportswear firm Nike.
He denies wrongdoing but the investigation heaps further embarrassment on the IAAF, which on Friday provisionally suspended Russia from all competition after a report commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency alleged state-sponsored doping.
The former IAAF president Lamine Diack, his son Papa Massata Diack, adviser Habib Cissé and the former IAAF anti-doping chief Gabriel Dollé are all being investigated by French police over allegations that they were complicit in covering up Russian doping, allegations which they all deny.
A statement issued by the IAAF on Okeyo said: “The IAAF was not aware of the investigation into Mr Okeyo in Kenya and the information has immediately been passed on to the independent IAAF ethics commission.
“As part of the root-and-branch governance reform project that the IAAF president Sebastian Coe has announced there will be new processes introduced to ensure all persons appointed to IAAF commissions and advisory groups in the future have been duly vetted and declared as ‘fit and proper persons’ to hold office. Over 200 people were due to be appointed to new commissions and advisory groups at the council meeting at the end of this month but their appointment will now be delayed until the new procedures are in place.”
The Sunday Times reported a response from Nike, in which a spokesman for the firm said it had acted with “integrity” in its dealings with Athletics Kenya and that the “expectation and understanding” of the sponsorship deal was that the funds would be “used to support and service the teams and athletes”. The spokesman added that Nike was co-operating with the local authorities in their investigation.
Read More at theguardian
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