The International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) has banned former  Secretary-General and Vice President of Athletics Kenya (AK) David Okeyo for siphoning sponsorship money for personal gain.

According to IAAF ethics board, Okeyo embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars of sponsorship money from Nike.

“Evidence indicated that 16 payments totaling a little over $1.2 million between 2004 and 2012 were made from AK’s accounts to a separate account, which Okeyo and two other senior AK officials had access to and withdrew cash sums from,” the IAAF ethics panel said.

Okeyo has been slapped with a Sh15M fine, which he was ordered to pay to Athletics Kenya (AK).

“The effect of his conduct was to deprive Athletics Kenya of income from its sponsor that could have been better directed to support the development of the sport of athletics in Kenya,” the ethics panel said.

Okeyo was suspended in 2015 and investigations into the allegations launched. He had been charged alongside two other officials;  Athletics Kenya president and former IAAF Council member Isaiah Kiplagat, and former AK treasurer Joseph Kinyua.

Kiplagat’s charges were dropped in 2016 after he died.

Okeyo has also been formally expelled as an IAAF Council member. He has however  been given the right to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, within 21 days of the date of the decision

ADEN MARWA DROPPED FROM WORLD CUP OVER $600 BRIBE

In June, Aden Marwa, who made history by becoming the first Kenyan to be appointed by FIFA as an Assistant Referee in the World Cup 2018 was dropped after accepting a $600 (Kshs. 60,000/-) bribe from a Ghanaian Investigative Journalist in an undercover expose’ for the BBC.