Okeyo, a former Secretary-General and Vice President of Athletics Kenya (AK) as well as a member of the IAAF Council, and Joseph Kinyua, a former Treasurer of Athletics Kenya, were investigated by the sport’s ethics board in relation to payments made by U.S. sportswear company Nike between 2003 and 2015.
In a 74-page judgement released on Thursday, the Board found that on many occasions Okeyo did not disclose to AK the withdrawals of the Nike money he made from AK bank accounts and he could also not show any evidence of what the money had been used for.
He was thus found to have breached the ethics code on 10 occasions after taking sponsorship money that “could have been better directed to support the development of the sport of athletics in Kenya” and expelled him from his position on the IAAF Council.
Okeyo was ordered to pay the Sh5 million ($50,000) fine to AK.
Kinyua was found by the board to have “engaged in similar conduct” but as he was not an IAAF official at the time, it was deemed that he was not bound by the ethics rules in place at the time and hence he escaped sanction.
The two men, along with former AK President Isaiah Kiplagat, were provisionally suspended at the end of 2015. Kiplagat has since died and consequently the ethics board dropped its investigation into his activities.
Okeyo and Kinyua deny wrongdoing, saying that the money was legitimate payment for their own expenses and expertise and for payments they personally made to athletes.
Kinyua told Reuters on Thursday that he was happy with the decision and that “justice was done.”
Okeyo told Reuters: “Yes, I have read the decision of the Athletics Integrity Unit and my lawyers will advise me on the next course of action.”
On one occasion in 2010 Okeyo withdrew $200,000 (Sh20.1 million) from AK accounts, saying subsequently that the money was used by AK to promote its athletics programs.
However, the panel said that Okeyo could not produce any evidence to show that the executive board had approved this course of action, “nor did he provide any details as to what programs had been supported, nor did he furnish any evidence by way of payment vouchers or supporting invoices to corroborate his account.”
-Reuters