Fight against doping: Forgery suspect Elias Kiptum arrested, charged

Forgery suspect  Elias Kiptum, who is believed to be part of an international conspiracy ring, out to tarnish Kenya’s athletics image was on Monday arrested and charged at a Nairobi court.

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations(DCI), the aim of the suspect is to tarnish  Kenya’s image in athletics world, by developing false doping allegations against Kenyan athletes.

The suspect was charged before Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

“His arrest and subsequent arraignment followed investigations by the DCI Anti-Narcotics Unit detectives, who since September 2020 were pursuing a criminal syndicate which has been working with foreign journalists in fabricating information on doping in athletics, the DCI said in a series of Tweets on its verified Twitter handle.

During the arrest, the DCI confiscated contract agreement documents between local suspects and the foreign journalists, three laptops, mobile phones among other electronic gadgets from the suspect’s house and are undergoing forensic analysis at DCI Headquarters.

The suspect Kiptum denied all 12 charges levelled against him and will remain in police custody pending bail ruling on Tuesday.

Forgery suspect Elias Kiptum, believed to be part of an international conspiracy ring, out to tarnish Kenya's image in the athletics world, by developing false doping allegations against Kenyan athletes was today morning arraigned before Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Court

— DCI KENYA (@DCI_Kenya) April 26, 2021

Contract agreement documents between local suspects and the foreign journalists, three laptops, mobile phones among other electronic gadgets were also confiscated from the suspect's house and are undergoing forensic analysis at DCI Headquarters.

— DCI KENYA (@DCI_Kenya) April 26, 2021