Man arrested for trying to have Kenya banned from the Olympics
The Kenyan man was reportedly part of a criminal syndicate who were developing false doping allegations against Kenyan athletes
A Kenyan man named Elias Kiptum was arrested on Monday following investigations pursuing a criminal syndicate that had been working with foreign journalists to make up false information about doping in Athletics Kenya. According to news source The Star, Kiptum was part of an international conspiracy ring that develops false doping allegations against Kenyan athletes.
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Kenya has faced scrutiny in the last few years over doping cases, and last year alone there were nine athletes who were handed sentences for testing positive for banned substances. This forced the country to quickly pass amendments to their anti-doping laws, without which they would not have been able to participate in any 2021 athletic events, including the upcoming Olympics.
The detective chief inspector George Kinoti said in a statement that Kiptum and those he was working with “had prepared documents purporting that doping was being promoted and encouraged by several state agencies in the country.” His goal, reportedly, was to have Kenya suspended from participating in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.
“Forged documents purportedly signed by officials from the Anti-Dopping Agency of Kenya and Athletics Kenya were shared with the Europe-based journalists, who have been part of the ring,” Kinoti explained.
Kiptum has denied all charges and has not given a reason why he or anyone else is trying to have Kenya banned from competing this summer.
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