At least seven Ministry of Sports officials are today scheduled to record a statement before the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in connection with the Oregon controversy.
Sports Principal Secretary Joe Okudo and six other officials are expected to appear before the Economics and Commercial Crimes Unit (ECCU) in connection with the suspected joyriders who accompanied Team Kenya to the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, United States (US) in June.
This is after the head of ECCU Mike Muia, through a letter dated August 15, 2022, issued summonses to the seven officials and cautioned them that failure to comply would force him to obtain an arrest warrant.
Speaking to a local newspaper yesterday, Muia said that additional Ministry, Athletics Kenya (AK), National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK), and Sports Kenya officials are scheduled to be questioned and have their comments recorded.
“The case is progressing well and we are at the stage of recording statements after identifying the people we believe were actively involved in the saga. So far, we have got all the travel and payment documents in our possession,” Muia said.
The purpose of the investigation is to determine whether Okudo was one of the Ministry’s senior employees whose family members would have benefited from the trip.
Three of Okudo’s kinsmen, including the head of ECCU Muia, have been proven to have been to the US with the team; the investigators are trying to determine whether they paid for their own travel or whether the government covered their costs.
The heads of procurement, accounts and the official in charge of organizing the world athletes’ championships at the ministry are also anticipated to be questioned alongside Okudo.
The seven, according to Muia, are the first group of senior officials who will be questioned about their involvement in the just-completed World Athletes Championships in Oregon, US.
It is thought that the officials waiting in line to be interrogated let some joyriders attend the athletics gala at the expense of several deserving athletes who were left out.
The complete list of everyone who travelled after obtaining US visas, as well as those who applied but did not receive the paperwork, is currently in the custody of the DCI.
According to reports, investigators have already determined that the government provided full care for every member of the entourage traveling to Oregon, and they are now attempting to determine the motivations for the payments given and the functions played by each.