NAIROBI, Kenya, February 17- The inquest into the death of Beijing Olympics marathon champion, Samuel Wanjiru, has been put off until March 14.
This is after the late two-time Chicago and 2010 London marathon champion’s mother, Hannah Wanjiru and his widow, Triza Njeri, informed the inquest that they are yet to go through witness statements and the police file in order to cross-examine them effectively.
Consequently, Nairobi magistrate, Hannah Ndungu, put off hearing of the inquest to March 14.
Senior state counsel Catherine Mwaniki is set to call more than 20 witnesses to shed light on circumstances that led to Wanjiru’s death.
The inquest has delayed for close to three years following disagreement between Wanjiru’s widow and her mother-in-law over the ideal venue.
Wanjiru had insisted that the case should be heard on neutral ground like Nairobi while Njeri argued that the tragedy occurred in Nyahururu and most witnesses live there.
Nakuru High Court Judge Anyara Emukule directed the inquest be conducted in Nairobi by a chief magistrate on June 10, 2012 without specifying the reasons.
Wanjiru, the 2:06:32 Olympics marathon record holder passed away on May 15, 2011 following what was declared to be from injuries sustained from a fall from the balcony of his Muthaiga Estate home in Nyahururu.
He was the third Kenyan athlete to win the World Marathon Majors 500,000 USD jackpot, a crown he held for two straight seasons to become the first and only man to achieve the feat.
Controversy that brew after his death including his mother claiming he was killed, a number of men alleging to be his father and a daughter born out of wedlock being proved by DNA tests to be his child continued last year during his second memorial.
During the ceremony, a family lawyer of the late marathon icon took issue with the former athlete’s manager Federico Rosa whom he said has failed to submit dues from several athletics events that Wanjiru took part and excelled.
He regretted that two years down the line, the manager has been evading the family and efforts to inquire about his cash have been futile.
He also claimed that the manager has on several occasions tried to sue the widow for allegedly failing to refund some Sh2m he had paid to settle a court dispute that the late Wanjiru was facing prior to his death.
