The Senegalese Lamine Diack, who died at the age of 88 on the night of Thursday to Friday in Dakar, reigned for sixteen years at the head of world athletics before being overtaken by scandals and becoming the symbol of the busyness that has plagued the international federation.
Considered to be one of the key players in a corruption system aimed at covering up doping cases in Russia, he was, in September 2020, sentenced by French justice to four years in prison, two of which were closed, and 500,000 euros fine for corruption and breach of trust.
He had appealed against this conviction and a date for a new trial remained to be determined.
Lamine Diack was also indicted for accepting bribes in the investigation into the awarding of the Olympic Games in Rio (2016), Tokyo (2020) and the 2017 World Athletics Championships.
In view of the death of Mr. Diack, the courts will not pronounce either acquittal or conviction but will note, as is customary, the termination of public action against him.
Regarding the facts of passive corruption during the award of the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games, a fixing hearing is scheduled at the Paris Court of Appeal on February 25 and the trial should take place in October 2022, we have learned Friday from a judicial source.
In this case, Lamine Diack and his son Papa Massata are suspected of having monetized their support for the organizing cities against bribes disguised as lobbying contracts.
© 2021 AFP