Lamine Diack trial: Russian involvement at the heart of the debates

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Lamine Diack, the former Senegalese boss of world athletics and his five co-defendants including his son Papa Massata Diack, are being prosecuted for their alleged involvement in a system of corruption intended to protect doped Russian athletes. For the second day of his trial this June 10, the court looked at the compensation Lamine Diack would have obtained in exchange for the slowing down of the sanction procedures for suspect athletes. These would be sponsor contracts and television rights for the federation, but also funding for the opposition to Abdoulaye Wade for the 2012 legislative campaigns in Senegal.

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With our special correspondent at the Paris court,   Laura Martel

A July 2013 email from Papa Massata Diack about an IAAF (International Association of Athletic Federations) executive who was surprised by the presence of suspected Russian athletes at the Worlds, put the investigators on the track. He was clearly explained to him the political role played by Russia in the political battles in Senegal between November 2011 and July 2012, legislative and municipal, he wrote to his father, Lamine Diack .

A million dollars for Wade bat

Confronted with this email in custody, Lamine Diack, reminds the president, says she wants to take responsibility and recognizes the existence of an agreement with Valentin Balakhnitchev, then treasurer of the IAAF and president of the Russian Athletics Federation. “  I said I needed a million and a half dollars to beat [Abdoulaye] Wade. Russia has funded,  "Lamine Diack told investigators.

However, underlines the president, he then specifies neither the name of the recipients nor the financing methods, confining himself to pointing: "  It was my son, Papa Massata Diack, who had to coordinate all this with Balakhnitchev  ".

For the Russian side, however, "  the aid necessarily came from the government,  " said the ex-boss of the IAAF to investigators, to whom he also indicated that he had discussed the Senegalese political situation with the Russian Minister of Sports in November 2011.

This June 10 must take place first long-awaited hearing of Lamine Diack if he maintains all his statements. His ex-advisor, lawyer Habib Cissé, was at the helm this morning to explain his role and the other alleged counterparts linked to sponsors and television rights.

► Diack case: “This is an extraordinary trial”

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• Africa
• Justice
• Sports
• Corruption
• Senegal
• France
• Abdoulaye Wade
• Russia

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