An anti-corruption court has ruled that former Sports CS Hassan Wario and other officials charged in the Sh55 million Rio Olympics scandal have a case to answer.
Chief magistrate Elizabeth Juma said she was satisfied the prosecution had established a prima facie case against the accused persons and directed that the defence hearing commences on February 3, 2020.
"After evaluation of the evidence adduced by 28 prosecution witnesses I am satisfied that a prima facie case has been established against the accused person herein. I therefore put them on their defence," the magistrate ruled.
Last year in October, Wario and former senior Sports officials Haron Komen Chebet, Patrick Kimithi Nkabu, Richard Tirus Ekai, Stephen Kiptanui Soi and Francis Kanyili Paul denied several graft charges leveled against them.
According to court papers, Wario used his office to improperly confer a benefit of Sh 1,506,391 to James Gitau Singh.
He is also accused of improperly facilitating the travel expenses of six individuals to Rio Olympics, causing a loss of Sh5,846,346 public funds.
The former CS is further said to have improperly conferred a benefit of over Sh1.5 million to Adan Omar by including him in the RIO 2016 Olympic Games Kenyan delegation team to Brazil.
Komen and chebet are charged with willful failure to comply with applicable procedures and guidelines relating to management of public funds.
All former sports officials who had been implicated in the misappropriation of over Sh55 million set aside for the Rio Olympic Games.
Others include Richard Bura and Monica Sairo, who allegedly got Sh918,391.
Eunice Kerich and Samuel Njuguna are said to have taken home Sh498,391 each.
