Ugandan athlete and Moses Kipsiro’s cousin Simon Ayeko, has revealed that he was framed over burning coach Peter Wemali’s house on Sunday and said he would nevertheless persevere imprisonment if it emerged as the outcome.
Ayeko was arrested on Monday from Bukwo on suspicion of him having burnt down Wemali’s house with commonwealth medalist Moses Kipsiro and released on police bond on Wednesday.
The former World Military Games gold medallist was bitter after release claiming he was arrested for a crime he did not commit. “I was framed. I know I am being punished for my closeness to Kipsiro (Moses),” Ayeko told Daily Monitor.
The athlete was granted bond with Kapchorwa District sports officer, Tunde Musawo and fellow runner Jacob Arapmarach as his surities and ordered to return on April 7.
He spent a Monday night at Bukwo Police Station according to Monitor and was transferred to Kapchorwa on Tuesday. He was in police custody until Wednesday evening.
“I got a call from the Bukwo DPC on Monday and I went to the station only to be told that I had a case,” he was further quoted by Daily Monitor.
“I am just hoping this case can be investigated to its conclusion. If I am found guilty, I am ready to go to prison,” he added.
Coach Wemali has since barely commented on the incident and attempts to reach him have been futile.
The saga all began in march last year, after the Africa Cross Country championships when Moses Kipsiro revealed to media that Peter Wemali was sexually harassing junior female runners.
Kipsiro, Uganda’s only gold medalist at last year’s Commonwealth Games, was later forced off the team that traveled to Guiyang, China for the World Cross Country Championships last week after receiving death threats he suspected were from Wemali.
The duo have since been at loggerheads and Kipsiro still thinks coach Wemali should be banned from the sport.
