Anti-corruption Watchdog Clears Bubka

(ATR) The IAAF’s anti-corruption watchdog has cleared Sergey Bubka of wrongdoing in relation to a suspicious payment to the federation’s banned former treasurer.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said in a statement it was not taking any further action against the IAAF senior vice president, following allegations published by French newspaper Le Monde in September 2017.

According to the newspaper, Bubka made a $45,000 payment to a company connected to Valentin Balakhnichev, who was later banned for corruption. Bubka denied any wrongdoing.

Le Monde reported that the payment came after a similar amount was transferred from Balakhnichev's company to Papa Massata Diack, the former IAAF president Lamine Diack’s son, who is under investigation over allegations he took bribes to secure IOC votes for the Rio 2016 Olympics and Tokyo 2020 Games.

"The AIU has concluded, based on the information currently available to it, that there is no prima facie case of a breach of the applicable IAAF rules by Mr Bubka," the anti-corruption unit said.

The AIU said it reached the decision after "conducting extensive inquiries" over almost a year, including analysis of the relevant criminal files of the French financial prosecutor’s office and other information available to the unit.

"The AIU takes note that the criminal investigation is ongoing and will continue to monitor any developments in case new evidence arises," it said.

The younger Diack is wanted by Interpol in connection with French prosecutors' investigation into corruption allegations. His father, the disgraced former head of the world track and field body, remains in custody in France charged with corruption and money laundering and is banned from leaving the country.

Last year, the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld IAAF life bans for former Russian athletics chief Balakhnichev, former Russian head distance coach Alexei Melnikov, and former IAAF marketing consultant Papa Massata Diack.

The bans followed a World Anti-Doping Agency probe that revealed the trio’s role in a doping cover-up in Russian athletics, including extorting money from Russian marathon runner Liliya Shobukhova.

Reported by Mark Bisson

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