Lamine Diack, the former head of athletics' governing body, arrived in court in Paris on Monday to stand trial on charges of corruption, money laundering and breach of trust linked to a Russian doping scandal. Prosecutors allege he solicited 3.45 million euros ($3.9 million) from athletes suspected of doping to cover up the allegations and allow them to continue competing, including in the 2012 London Olympics.
Lamine Diack, the former president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), was responsible for organizing and enabling the conspiracy and corruption that took place in athletics' governing body, an independent commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Thursday.
IAAF president Sebastian Coe says there has been no cover up of Russian doping cases despite the latest leaked documents appearing to show that officials of athletics' governing body were discussing how to suppress news of positive tests.
Lamine Diack, the former head of world athletics, has been placed under formal investigation in France on suspicion of corruption and money laundering following a complaint from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Sebastian Coe has long been one of the most outspoken critics of doping in athletics yet the newly-elected president of the sport's governing body has remained silent this week in the face of potentially its most damning drugs scandal yet.