Former Sports CS and Kenya’s ambassador to Austria Hassan Wario together with two other former sports officials have been charged with the embezzlement and mismanagement of the Kshs 55 million during the 2016 Rio Olympics. The three denied the charges and have been released on a Kshs 1 million personal bond each or alternative cash bail of Kshs 1 million. Wario, who surrendered to the DCI offices on Thursday, was arraigned at the anti-corruption court at the Milimani Law Courts on Friday, together with other two former sports officials, former Director of Administrations in the Ministry of Sports Haron Komen and the former Finance Officer in the Ministry of Sports Patrick Kimathi Nkabu.
The officials are among seven accused persons including former Sports CS Richard Ekai are accused with the embezzling of the Rio Olympics funds. Ekai and two other officials were arraigned earlier this week, but Wario, Keino, Komen and Nkabu were absent, prompting Ogoti to order they avail themselves to the police by Thursday 6:00 am. They obeyed the order, and surrendered to the DCI and underwent the required processing and questioning, but Kipchoge Keino was designated a state witness in the case after it emerged he never signed the documents.
Wario had applied to have his passport released to have him travel back to Austria for his ambassadorial duties, but the prosecution opposed this. The Director of Public Prosecutions had earlier outlined that there is sufficient evidence to charge the seven accused suspects for misappropriation of over Kshs 55 million.