Kenya promise inquiry into doping bribe allegation

Nairobi : Kenya's anti-doping agency (Adak) promised Sunday allegations into a report their athletics manager Michael Rotich sought a doping bribe would be fully investigated.

The Sunday Times newspaper and German television channel ARD filmed Rotich allegedly demanding 10,000 pounds ($13,000, 11,800 euros) for agreeing to give a warning when doping tests would be carried out.

"Naturally we will launch investigations to find out the truth about the matter," Adak President Japhter Rugut told AFP. But he expressed concern at the timing of the publication of the report after filming was carried out in January.

"And we are concerned why it has taken such a long time to reveal the information. It sounds a bit malicious that such information should come when the Kenya team is in Rio for the Olympics," he lamented.

ARD journalist Hajo Seppelt tweeted an Athletics Kenya statement saying Rotich had been recalled "so we can investigate further his role in this".

"These are very serious allegations and we cannot have someone of that character managing our team."

The International Olympics Committee later said that Rotich had been recalled.

This had been denied however by Athletics Kenya spokesman Evans Bosire.

In the media interview Rotich explained to journalists posing as a coach and agent how their athletes could avoid doping controls.

He is also alleged to have promised to alert them 12 hours before a dope test in return for cash.

Kenya's sports minister Hassan Wario denounced the journalists behind the story.

"Based on the evidence collected thus far, there is reason to believe that the two publications may have coerced unscrupulous individuals into forging documents and falsifying information on doping among Kenyan and international athletes," said Wario.

"Today's story leads us to wonder why the Sunday Times withheld such serious information from the relevant Kenyan authorities.

"It is disheartening that this ill-timed story, whose veracity is dubious, comes just as our Olympians prepare to compete."

Several Kenyan athletes have failed dope tests in recent months. The government only this week passed anti-doping legislation so that the World Anti-Doping Agency could take Kenya off its non-compliant list.