(ATR) Two former senior Kenyan athletics officials are cleared of extortion charges by an IAAF Ethics Board.
David Okeyo, a former secretary-general and vice president of Athletics Kenya (AK) and a former IAAF Council member, and Isaac Mwangi, a former CEO of AK, were charged with extorting money from athletes who had tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
In a 62-page document released on Thursday, the IAAF Ethics Board admitted that extortion may well have taken place, saying "it has found that the case against the Defendants has not been established beyond a reasonable doubt, but it considers that the facts on the record before it give rise to concerns that it considers both the IAAF and its member federations should consider and address".
Two concerns in particular were raised by the panel.
"Firstly, given the power and authority of national athletics officials over athletes, there may be a risk that unscrupulous officials will seek to take improper advantage of athletes.
"Secondly that should this happen, it is difficult for athletes to seek to vindicate their rights because often athletes are persons of limited or moderate means and often they are considerably younger and less experienced than sports administrators."
The panel urged the IAAF and its member federations as "an urgent priority" to develop policies and practices to prevent the abuse of athletes.
Despite Thursday’s decision in his favor, Okeyo is still banned from athletics for life after being found guilty last week of taking thousands of dollars of Nike sponsorship funds for his personal use. He was also ordered to pay $50,000 to Athletics Kenya and $100,000 to the IAAF. He has denied any wrongdoing and has told Kenyan media that he plans to appeal.
Written by Gerard Farek
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