French Police, IOC Open Investigations of Diack

(ATR) The IAAF and its president Sebastian Coe are cooperating fully with French authorities investigating allegations that former president Lamine Diack received bribes to cover-up positive doping tests by Russian athletes.The IOC also announces it will open an ethics inquiry as Diack is still an honorary member of the IOC.

Diack and his legal adviser Habib Cisse were placed under investigation by French judges following a report submitted by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Diack faces charges of corruption and aggravated money-laundering, while Cisse is only charged with corruption.

Seb Coe volunteered to answer questions when police arrived at the IAAF headquarters in Monaco on Tuesday. After speaking with Coe and other officials, authorities seized documents from the headquarters as evidence. The IAAF released a statement confirming an investigation is underway.

"The IAAF confirms that, emanating from separate ongoing investigations by WADA’s independent commission and the IAAF’s own independent Ethics Commission into allegations surrounding its anti-doping rules and regulations, a French police investigation has now commenced."

"The IAAF is fully cooperating with all investigations as it has been from the beginning of the process."

Diack was placed under official inquiry by French police on Tuesday and questioned along with Gabriel Dolle, former director of IAAF’s doping department regarding reports suggesting they took 200,000 Euros from Russia to not report results.

The official inquiry designation in French law does not guarantee a trial but does usually lead to one.

In response to the investigation, an IOC spokesperson tells Around the Ringsthe IOC "stands for clean sport and good governance."

"It is thereforefollowing these ongoing inquiries very closely and awaits the full facts coming to light."

"At the same time the IOC notes that the reasons for this inquiry relate to actions that occurred in the past and we express full confidence in the new leadership of the IAAF."

"In light of the criminal investigation against Mr Lamine Diack, who is an IOC honorary member, I have decided to refer this case to the IOC’s Ethics’ Commission," said Pâquerette Zappelli, IOC chief ethics and compliance officer.

Speaking at the Securing Sport conference in New York City, Tomas Sithole, secretary general of ANOCA tells ATR:"It's a new investigation. It would be unfair to cast any aspersions at the moment. I have no comment to make at this early stage"

Tanni Grey-Thompson, British 11-time Paralympic gold medalist, welcomed the news that Diack is being investigated.

"I think it's good. if there is a problem, then it needs to be exposed. And if there has been corruption, then go for it." she told ATR.

Commenting on IAAF president Seb Coe's zero tolerance stance on doping and attempts to clean up athletics, she added: "A lot of the things he has spoken about is about trying to sort this [doping] out. Actually it might make his job at bit easier.

Grey-Thompson says investigations into federation leaders such as this and the ongoing case with FIFA have been "a long time coming".

"On the back of FIFA, some of the stuff has been a really long time coming. People have been able to run their fiefdoms, be able to do what they want, do deals, get money. It has to be an independent investigation. There is only so much Seb can do as president. You need the law behind you to do it."

These charges follow the resignation of Diack’s son Papa Massata Diack as a marketing executive for the IAAF after also being accused of helping Russia cover-up other doping scandals.

Diack served as president of the athletics federation since 1999 and was recently replaced by Seb Coe on Aug. 16.

Written by KevinNutley

20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribersonly.