FORMER JUBILEE CABINET SECRETARY JAILED 6 YEARS FOR CORRUPTION

Former Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario has been slapped with a Sh3.6 million fine or six-year prison term after a court found him guilty of abusing his office in connection to the Sh55 million Rio 2016 Olympics scandal.

Mr Wario was sentenced together with former National Olympic Committee of Kenya (Noc-k) official Stephen Soi.

Mr Soi was convicted and sentenced to a Sh105 million fine or 12 years in jail.

The two were on Wednesday 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.

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.

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

Evidence tabled in court by the 22 prosecution witnesses showed that Mr Soi being the Chef 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 authorised the cancellation of air tickets resulting in a loss of Sh9.7 million public funds. In addition, he unlawfully authorised the purchase of unutilised air tickets amounting to Sh19.5 million and allowed payment of Sh4.9 million for the air tickets, which resulted in 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.

By Business Daily