CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — A report by South Africa’s Olympic committee accused suspended South African athletics president Leonard Chuene of “gross misconduct” and ignoring medical advice after he allowed Caster Semenya to compete at the 2009 World Championships.

South Africa’s Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee said Chuene had “defied” medical advice that Semenya be withdrawn from the World Championships in Berlin last August.

Athletics South Africa’s team doctor at the time, Harold Adams, told Chuene that Semenya should not compete in Germany, “because it was going to create a psychological problem for her to run and be queried”, sports minister Makhenkesi Stofile told a parliamentary committee yesterday.

“The report found that Mr Chuene ignored that professional advice and went ahead,” Stofile said. “As such, they (SASCOC) accuse him (Chuene) of gross misconduct, as well as bringing ASA and the sport of athletics and SASCOC into disrepute. He must face disciplinary hearings.”

Semenya underwent gender tests at the championships, where she won the 800-metre title, and did not compete again for 11 months.

She was cleared by world athletics body the IAAF in July, but it said the “medical details” of her case would remain confidential.

According to the South African Press Association, Stofile added the one positive was that “scientists have now laid a benchmark for the world on what constitutes fairness and gender equity for sport”.

Chuene was suspended along with ASA’s entire executive board last November after allegations of financial mismanagement and criticism of the way the national federation handled Semenya, who was then 18.

Chuene has also admitted to lying about gender tests performed on the teenage athlete in South Africa before the World Championships. He said he hid the tests to protect Semenya’s privacy.

SASCOC has been in temporary charge of ASA since November, carrying out what it calls a forensic audit into the body’s finances and an investigation into the Semenya affair.

The report contained “various allegations” against the ASA board, Stofile said yesterday, including mismanagement of assets. But Stofile told members of parliament they had to wait for “due process” through the courts before SASCOC, which was not represented at the committee, could answer questions on its findings.

SASCOC laid charges against ASA officials last month, and a two-day disciplinary hearing begins Thursday.

But the South African Press Association also reported Mgolodi Dikgacwi, a member of parliament for South Africa’s ruling African National Congress party, said Chuene should be vindicated for allowing Semenya to run in Berlin.

“All these people who were advising Chuene to withdraw the girl (Semenya) from participating. That advice was wrong,” Dikgacwi said. “If she was withdrawn she would not have been a champion in the 800 metres so that advice was completely wrong.

“His (Chuene’s) decision was 100 per cent correct to allow her to participate.”

And South African media reports said committee chairman Butana Komphela called Olympic body SASCOC “arrogant” for not appearing in front of the committee when it had been summoned.