(ATR) Authorities say Kenya’s Rio 2016 team leader Stephen Arap Soi stole $256,000 from his country's government and National Olympic Committee.
Soi, who served as the chef de mission for the Kenyan delegation in Rio, was charged with five counts of theft in court today according to local media reports. Kenyan prosecutors say he took $234,000 with him to Brazil, and did not declare it to customs. The money then vanished, along with an additional $22,000.
The money was said to come from the NOC-K, Athletics Kenya, and the country’s sports ministry and was earmarked for accommodations for athletes and officials at the Rio Games.
Kenyan Olympic committee vice president Pius Ochieng and secretary general Francis Kinyili Paul also appeared in court. They denied chargesof stealing Olympic team uniforms provided by sponsor Nike.
Kenyan Olympic officials have seen multiple scandals rock the country surrounding the Rio 2016 Olympics. During the Games, athletics manager Major Rotich was suspended for "boasting the ability to skirt anti-doping protocols."After the Olympics, the Kenyan government disbanded the NOC for "mismanagement," during the 2016 Games.
Kenyan Olympic officials say they have reached out to the IOC for help in curbing the sport governance issues the country faces. The IOC told Around the Rings last month, they are monitoring the situation, but the NOC could face a suspension for autonomy issues.
Written by Aaron Bauer
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