Former Sports Cabinet secretary Hassan Wario pleaded not guilty to charges related to Rio De Janeiro Olympic Games over abuse of office and misappropriation of funds.
Wario who presented himself before the Directorate of Criminal Investigation together with former National Olympics Committee chairman Kipchoge Keino was released today on a million cash bail while Kipchoge’s plea was moved to next week at the Anti-Corruption court.
Then appointed an ambassador to Austria, Wario appeared before Magistrate Douglas Ogoti with co-accused Haron Chebet Komen a former Director of Administration in the Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture and Patrick Kimathi Nkabu.
Keino was not present in court after one of his two lawyers, Cecil Miller, presented a letter to Ogoti stating the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) had accepted his plea to be deferred by a week.
Ogoti then directed the plea against the honorary life member of the International Olympic Committee and NOCK to be deferred for seven days.
Wario pleaded not guilty to six charges of abuse of office contrary to Section 46 as read in section 46 (1) of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act No 3 of 2003.
Kimathi who was the ministry’s finance officer at the time denied failing to comply with applicable law relating to management of public funds by carelessly misusing public funds amounting to Sh22.5mn.
Komen faces three counts of abuse of office among them, getting air ticket to travel to Brazil without planning and he too plead not guilty.
On Monday, three other suspects, NOCK secretary general, Francis Kinyili Paul, former Principal Secretary in the Ministry, Richard Titus Ekai and Stephen Kiptanui arap Soi appeared before the same court and denied the charges and released on similar terms.