Kenyan court releases passport of Italian agent facing doping charges

A Kenyan court has released the passport of Italian athletics manager Federico Rosa, who has denied six doping-related charges, to allow him to travel to the Rio 2016 Olympics.

Nairobi's Kibera Law Courts Principal Magistrate Bernard Ochoi on Tuesday further directed the Italian to deposit a return ticket proving he will be back to the country and set the mention of his case for September 5 and 6, reports Xinhua.

He also expected the passport to be returned to the court on August 26 with the Italian agent out on a $5000 bond with two Kenyan sureties of the same amount.

Federico, a director of the Italian registered Rosa Associati firm established by his father Dr. Gabriele Rosa was accused of conspiring with others to injure the reputations of Elijah Kiprono and Rita Jeptoo by administering prohibited substances.

He was denied the permission to leave the country on July 14, when he first applied to have his seized passport released with the court then argued he did not show enough proof he was needed at the Olympics where some of his high profile Kenyan clients will participate.

Earlier in the same month, Beijing 2008 Olympics champion Asbel Kiprop vowed to work with him until he retires after news broke of his arrest on July 1, when he was attending the Kenyan Rio 2016 Trials in the northern town of Eldoret.

--IANS

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