A tribunal found that top officials in the Sports ministry had embezzled Sh 88 million meant for air tickets to the games and recommended the prosecution of those found culpable. Former National Olympic Committee of Kenya(NOCK) official Stephen Soi was on Friday night arrested in connection with the Rio 2016 Olympics financial scandal.
In the recent past, detectives have been seeking to establish whether there is evidence that officials either misused or stole money allocated to the Kenyan team to Brazil in 2016, resulting in one of the most scandalous international outings in Kenya’s athletics industry.
In 2016, Mr Soi, the man who led Team Kenya to Rio Olympics, admitted that he carried Sh 25 million in cash to the games for accommodation and medicines
The Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games Probe Committee discovered that the ministry had signed a ticketing deal with a local travel agency to provide air tickets at a much higher price than the national carrier, Kenya Airways, had quoted.
It showed that, while Nock had negotiated for a Sh 175,000 bill per economy class return ticket to Rio, the travel company had increased the rate to Sh 445,381.
Business class rates were quoted at Sh 800,000 but the agency charged Sh 2,028,385 per ticket.
The committee was formed by Dr Wario through Kenya Gazette notice number 7176 of September 9, 2016 to look into various issues regarding Kenya’s preparations for and participation in the games.
It was chaired by Mr Paul Ochieng, the dean of students at Nairobi’s Strathmore University, and included legendary marathon runner Ibrahim Hussein and former stars Elizabeth Olaba and Rose Tata-Muya.
Other members were Mr Elias Makori, a journalist, and Mr John Njogu, a lawyer at the ministry.