Former IAAF Boss, Diack, Jailed For Corruption

Former IAAF boss, Diack, Jailed For Corruption

By Our Reporter

Former president of the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF), Lamine Diack, has been convicted in France on Wednesday of corruption in a Russian doping scandal and sentenced to spend at least two years in jail.

Diack, 87, was found guilty of taking bribes from athletes in return for orchestrating the cover up of test results that enabled them to continue competing including in the 2012 London Olympics.

Diack was also found guilty of accepting Russian money to help finance Macky Sall's 2012 presidential campaign in Senegal, his home country, in exchange for slowing anti-doping procedures, the court ruled.

The court had heard how Diack solicited bribes totalling €3.45 million from athletes suspected of drugs cheating and paid off other officials at the IAAF to aid with the cover up.

The presiding judge said the former long-jumper's actions had "undermined the values of athletics and the fight against doping".

The court handed Diack a four-year prison sentence, two years of which are suspended, and imposed a maximum fine of €500,000.

Diack's lawyers called the judgment against him “unfair and inhumane”, and said they would appeal.

Diack was once one of the most influential men in the sport, leading the IAAF, now known as World Athletics, from 1999 to 2015.