IAAF suspends three top Kenyan officials over graft, anti-doping probe
Three top Kenyan athletics officials were suspended on Monday over IAAF ethics commission probes into corruption and subversion of anti-doping controls.
The IAAF ethics commission announced the provisional suspension of the Kenyan athletics federation president and two other top officials in the "interests of the integrity of the sport".
Athletics Kenya president Isaiah Kiplagat was suspended along with vice-president David Okeyo, an IAAF Council member, and Joseph Kinyua, former federation treasurer and Kenya Team Leader at the IAAF 2015 World Championships in Beijing.
The trio were suspended "from any IAAF or Athletics Kenya position pending investigation of complaints made against them and evidence and information which has been received by the IAAF Ethics Commission".
"This provisional suspension, which is made in the interests of the integrity of the sport, is for a period of 180 days," the IAAF said in a statement.
The cases warranting investigation, against Kiplagat, Okeyo and Kinyua were twofold, the commission explained.
The first was "in relation to potential subversion of the anti-doping control process in Kenya".
They also face investigation because they are "accused of potential improper diversion from Athletics Kenya of funds received from Nike".
"A prima facie case has also been found to exist in respect of Mr Kiplagat in relation to receipt, personally or by Athletics Kenya, of an apparent gift of two motor vehicles from the Qatar Association of Athletics Federation in the period 2014-2015," it said.
AFP
File photo: AFP