ASA’s Chuene Banned From All Sports For Seven Years

He had been suspended since 2009.

Written by: Riël Hauman

(c) 2011 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission.

Leonard Chuene, the disgraced former President of Athletics South Africa (ASA), has been banned for seven years from all involvement in sport by the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC). This decision came a few days after it was announced that Chuene had been found guilty on charges of poor corporate governance, misappropriation of funds and tax evasion.

The disciplinary inquiry was instituted by SASCOC after Chuene, his entire executive and three employees were suspended in late 2009. The final decision was handed down after Chuene, his deputy Kakata Maponyane and ASA Board member Simon Dlamini failed to beat Thursday’s deadline to appeal against the guilty verdict. Maponyane was given a 5-year ban and Dlamini received a 3-year ban. According to Tubby Reddy, CEO of SASCOC, the forensic report on Chuene’s activities as president of ASA has been sent to the national prosecuting authority and it is possible that he may also be prosecuted under criminal law.

The verdict, handed down by Advocate Normand Arendse, stated that Chuene may not return to any position in South African sport until he paid all his legal costs, repaid all the money he obtained illegally from ASA, and showed remorse for the disgrace he brought on South African athletics.