FKF boss Mwendwa cleared of corruption charges
A
magistrate's court on Wednesday acquitted Football Kenya Federation (FKF)
president Nick Mwenda of corruption charges, ruling they were "unfounded
and unconstitutional".
Mwendwa, 44,
faced accusations of misappropriating Sh38 million ($337,000) marked for the
development of Kenyan football.
"This
court finds that the fair trial of the accused is grossly threatened... the
charges are unfounded and unconstitutional," ruled Kiambu senior principal
magistrate Wilson Rading.
Mwendwa was
first arrested in November 2021 after the Kenyan government disbanded the
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and set up a caretaker committee to run the
game over the alleged financial impropriety during his tenure.
Following
his ouster and the FKF's disbanding, Kenya were suspended by football's world
governing body FIFA over government interference in the running of the sport.
The charges
were dropped on July 6 after a court found the state had failed to provide any
evidence.
However,
Mwendwa was re-arrested a day later when prosecutors said fresh evidence had
been made available to police.
Rading ruled
that Mwendwa should not be arrested and charged based on the findings of that
probe.
FIFA has
since lifted a ban on FKF following the government's decision to reinstate the
body.
The ruling
on Wednesday clears the way for Mwenda, who stepped aside and handed over the
reins to the FKF vice president Doris Petra, to resume his role.
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