Ex-IAAF boss in bribery probe

Former IAAF president Lamine Diack speaks during a media conference in Beijing ahead of the 2015 IAAF World Championships on Aug 21. Diack jas been arrested for corruption, a French judiciary source said on Wednesday. Reg Baker / AFP File

Diack charged with corruption over suspected doping cover-ups

French police have charged former world athletics president Lamine Diack with corruption over suspicions he took bribes to cover up doping cases, investigators said on Wednesday.

The 82-year-old Diack was charged after police arrived at the International Association of Athletics Federations' headquarters in Monaco.

Diack stood down from his post in August when Britain's Sebastian Coe was elected to head the scandal-tainted federation.

Coe asked to be questioned by investigators over the case during the police visit on Tuesday, IAAF spokesman Chris Turner said.

The charges were laid ahead of this month's release of a report by a World Anti-Doping Agency commission into allegations of widespread substance abuse in Russia, Kenya and among world champions.

Diack, who is Senegalese, and his legal adviser, Habib Cisse, were charged with corruption, money laundering and conspiracy, French prosecutors said.

Later on Wednesday, a judicial source said the IAAF's former anti-doping doctor, Gabriel Dolle, was also charged with corruption.

All three individuals have been released on bail.

"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," said an IAAF statement.

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

The statement also said "police visited the IAAF HQ offices yesterday to carry out interviews and to access documentation."

A source close to the investigation said the case was focusing on two or three doping tests by Russian athletes, but that the inquiry could be spread to other cases involving other nationalities.

Diack was IAAF president from 1999 until this year, a period when international athletics was hit with repeated doping scandals.

Son forced to quit

His son, Pape Massata Diack, was forced to resign last December as an IAAF marketing executive over accusations he organized doping coverups for Russian athletes.

Valentin Balakhnishev, president of the Russian athletics federation, also stood down as IAAF treasurer.

The International Olympic Committee's ethics commission announced later on Wednesday it was launching its own investigation into Diack as a result of the criminal charges. Diack is an IOC honorary member.

The accusations come at a critical time for the IAAF as WADA will this month release a report on allegations of widespread use of banned substances in Russia and other countries.

WADA has spent this year investigating allegations by Britain's Sunday Times newspaper and German ARD broadcaster of widespread doping by Russian and Kenyan athletes.

This was extended in August to look into allegations the IAAF had failed to follow up suspicious tests by hundreds of athletes, including world champions and Olympic medal winners.

WADA appointed its former leader, Canada's Dick Pound, to head an independent commission of inquiry.

The WADA board is to hold a meeting in mid-November.

About 50 Russian athletes are currently banned by the IAAF, the highest number of any country, and Coe addressed Russian coaches during his two-day visit to Russia this week to meet Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko and Olympic leaders.

"I expressed my uncompromising position on the issue of doping in athletics and the importance for the sport to build trust and defend clean athletes at all times," Coe said.

"I was able to meet and interact directly with Russian athletes, coaches and officials, and I appreciated their openness, passion for our sport and noted a real appetite for change."

Russian sports leaders have denied they have higher levels of doping than in other countries.