Kenyan doping case dropped against Italian agent

A Kenyan court on Tuesday dropped charges against the Italian sports agent who managed disgraced marathon star Rita Jeptoo to allow prosecutors to pursue further investigations into doping.

However, under Kenyan law Federico Rosa could be rearrested if sufficient, additional evidence comes to light.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) last month doubled a doping ban against Jeptoo to four years, signalling the end of a sparkling career which saw the Kenyan win the 2014 Chicago and Boston marathons.

State prosecutor Mary Wangele told a court in Nairobi that the case against Rosa was being withdrawn for "further investigations on the claims of doping".

Rosa, a director of Italy-based sports management company Rosa and Associati, was arrested in July along with his father Gabriele, who was not charged, and accused of involvement in "administering a prohibited substance through a prohibited method".

The charge sheet accused Rosa of doping Jeptoo in 2014 and another runner, Elijah Boit, between 2004 and 2008, but prosecutors now say they do not have enough evidence.

Rosa denied six counts of doping athletes, including Jeptoo, who was banned for an initial two years in 2014 after testing positive for the blood-boosting drug EPO.

The case was brought by Jeptoo and Boit, who accused Rosa of damaging their reputations by doping.

But CAS, in doubling the punishment for Jeptoo, concluded that the marathon star hid her doping from both manager and coach.

Rosa and Associati have managed several top Kenyan and African athletes, including former Olympic and three-time 1500m world champion Asbel Kiprop, world 800m bronze medallist Eunice Sum and reigning London marathon champion Jemima Sumgong, all of whom were members of Kenya's Rio Olympics team.