Kenya's double world record holder charged with forgery

 Daniel Kipngetich Komen in the dock at a Milimani court

Double world record holder Daniel Komen was yesterday charged with forgery.

Mr Komen, who is a two-mile and 3,000 metres indoor and outdoor champion, appeared before Resident Magistrate Christine Njagi and denied six counts of forgery and obtaining money by false pretences.

Komen, who in 1997 bagged gold for Kenya in the IAAF World championships in Athens in 5,000 metres, was accused that in 2013 at Nakumatt Junction, he obtained a vehicle, a Suzuki Escudo worth Sh1.75 million, from Thomas Getanguta, by pretending that he was in a position to pay for it.

In the second count, the accused was said to have forged a motor vehicle sale agreement of a Suzuki escudo from him to Nicholas Odhiambo while purporting it to be genuine in September 2015.

He was again accused of uttering a false document to Cecilia Muthoni. Komen (right) is said to have again forged an acknowledgement letter of receipt of Sh780,000 dated December 2014 purporting it to be a genuine acknowledgement of cash received from Mr Odhiambo.

In count six Komen was charged with issuing a bouncing cheque on May 28, 2014, where he reportedly gave a cheque of Sh300,000 from his CFC Stanbic Account to Odhiambo, when he knew that it had insufficient funds. He denied all the charges and was freed on a Sh500,000 bond or a Sh300,000 cash bail.

The matter will be mentioned on April 26, 2017 and heard on May 19, 2017. The court was also told that Komen is an aspiring MCA for the Racecourse ward in Eldoret.

He currently holds the world record for the 3,000 meters both outdoors (7:20.67 set in 1996) and indoors (7:24.90 set in 1998).

In addition to his 7.58.61 world record in the 2-mile race set in 1997, he remains the only man in history to run back-to-back sub-four-minute miles, splitting circa 3:59.4 on both the first and second half of the race.