Three men have been sentenced to jail for impersonating officials from the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) and defrauding athletes of over Sh800,000. The case marks a significant outcome in the ongoing crackdown on doping-related fraud in Kenya.
On Tuesday, the Eldoret court sentenced Thomas Kipyatich Kiptoo, Amos Mutai, and Samuel Rono to one year in prison each, with an alternative fine of Sh30,000. The sentencing comes after a three-year trial.
Chief Magistrate Dennis Mikoyan delivered the verdict after the men were found guilty of posing as ADAK officers to scam athletes. The prosecution presented evidence that the accused deceived athlete Paul Kipchumba Lonyangata between September and October 2021 in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County. Kiptoo was also charged with falsely presenting himself as an ADAK official to athlete Purity Jebichii Changwony.
According to court records, the three men allegedly obtained a total of Sh776,700 from the athletes between September 2021 and June 2022. In a separate charge, Kiptoo was found guilty of fraudulently obtaining Sh546,700 from Lonyangata. Kiptoo had promised to help Lonyangata resolve a doping case that had led to his suspension from competitions on February 12, 2022.
Evidence showed that Kiptoo received the money from Lonyangata between October 3 and October 31, 2021. Additionally, Mutai was reported to have received Sh30,000 from Lonyangata on October 23, 2021.
The sentences are part of ADAK’s intensified efforts to combat drug misuse and related fraud among athletes in Kenya.
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