Economy

Ex-Sports CS Wario faces 10 years in jail

wario

Former Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Former Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario is staring at a 10-year imprisonment after a court found him guilty of abusing his office in connection to the Sh55 million Rio 2016 Olympics scandal.

Mr Wario together with former National Olympic Committee of Kenya (Nock) official Stephen Soi are also facing a mandatory fine equal to two times the amount of the benefit or loss suffered by the public as a result of their conduct.

The two were yesterday found guilty of three and six offences, respectively, in relation to siphoning of millions of shillings meant for athletes who competed in the 2016 Olympics in Rio Brazil. They will be convicted and sentenced today. In the lengthy judgment delivered by chief magistrate Elizabeth Juma, the former CS abused his office by improperly conferring benefits to three people in the delegation that travelled to Rio Brazil in July 2016.

“Anyone who played a role in the planning (Rio Olympics) was included in the tavel. This is not the spirit of the Olympic Charter….there was wastage of money. The budget should be tailored on the needs,” said the magistrate

The court looked at the Olympic charter, bed capacity (at the Olympics) and the rationing of bed in making the finding.

Mr Soi, on his part, was found guilty of six counts on willful failure to comply with applicable procedures and guidelines relating to management of public funds and abuse of office.

Evidence tabled in court by the 22 prosecution witnesses showed that Mr Soi being the Chief De Mission of Team Kenya in the Olympic games unlawfully approved payment in excess of $151,500 as allowances to the members of the team.

He also authorized cancellation of air tickets resulting to a loss of Sh9.7 million public funds. In addition, he unlawfully authourised purchase of untilised air tickets amounting to Sh19.5 million and allowed payment of Sh4.9 million for the air tickets, which resulted to the loss of public funds.

On abuse of office, Mr Soi was found guilty of conferring a benefit of Sh1.9 million to Hezekiah Kipchoge Keino and Francis Kinyili Paul.