DPP Keriako Tobiko Recommends Prosecution of Sports CS Hassan Wario and PS Titus Ekai

Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario and Principal Secretary Titus Ekai could be forced to resign from the Jubilee administration following a recommendation by Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko that the duo be charged over the infamous Rio Olympics scandal.

In a letter sent to the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Ndegwa Muhoro, Mr Tobiko stated that the two leaders ought to take responsibility for the scam that saw close to Sh200 Million either stolen or misappropriated.

"The persons who should bear the greatest criminal culpability for authorising (or) approving the unlawful payments are the following; Dr Hassan Wario Arero — CS, Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts (because he) chaired the Steering Committee meeting (in) which the budget was presented, (and) which had allowances which exceeded the SRC guidelines," Tobiko said.

According to Kenyan law, once an appointed state official is charged in court, they are required to step down from their positions until the matter is fully heard and concluded.

The DPP highlighted that Mr Ekai was guilty in failing to point out that allowances paid to athletes who participated in the Olympic Games exceeded guidelines set by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).

"Mr Ekai is the accounting officer at the Ministry and having attended the Steering Committee meeting, he should have pointed out and informed that the allowances exceeded SRC guidelines," Tobiko mentioned.

Mr Tobiko further noted that there were joyriders who went for the International Games and their expenses illegally catered for by the Ministry.

"In the inquiry file it is alleged that Dr Wario... directed that six persons, namely Monica S Sairo, Richard Abura, Kerich Eunice, Singh James Gitau, Njuguna Samuel and Adan Omar Enow, who were not in the list approved by the steering committee, be included as part of the Kenya delegation, causing the ministry to incur additional cost of Sh2,990,286 on air tickets and Sh3,600,000 on allowances," Tobiko indicated.

The DPP added that there was also evidence proving that there were some individuals who did not travel to Rio De Janeiro Brazil yet they were paid allowances.

Also to be charged in the scandal that made International headlines is the director of administration at the ministry, Haron Chebet. As per Tobiko, Mr Chebet was as the holder of the Authority to Incur Expenditure (AIE) but he failed to advise that the payments of allowances be stopped because they exceeded the SRC guidelines.

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