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Russian doping trial: Lamine Diack, Papa Massata Diack ... high-profile defendants

2020-01-13T07:23:15.119Z


The correctional court of Paris judges from Monday the corruption case which led to the suspension of Russian athletes at the Olympic Games.


The corruption trial targeting several former figures in world athletics opens this Monday in Paris. They are accused in particular of having agreed to delay the sanctions on Russian athletes, whose biological passport showed that they were doping. The "Diack" father and son are at the heart of the system, updated after the denunciations of several athletes, including Liliya Shobukhova.

Lamine Diack, friend of the powerful and great sports boss in Africa

Lamine Diack, former big boss of world athletics. AFP / Buda Mendes

Former big boss of world athletics, former politician - he was a member of the Senegalese parliament, mayor of Dakar and secretary of state for sports -, Lamine Diack is now 86 years old. Arrested on November 1, 2015 in Paris, when he was invited to a conference organized by the French Olympic Committee, he was placed in police custody and then charged with corruption. A former top athlete, he was a long jump specialist. Passionate about football, he reigned supreme over the International Athletics Federation (IAAF), between 1999 and 2015. Former member of the International Olympic Committee (Editor's note: he was forced to resign after being indicted) , he has long been one of the most influential men in world sport, especially on the African continent.

Suspected of having slowed down the sanctioning process for Russian athletes in order to allow them to participate in the 2012 Olympics and the World Championships "at home" the following year, he considers that he "played no role" and claims that he “made no commitment to the athletes”. Regarding the breach of trust facts, he denies having embezzled funds to the prejudice of the IAAF and having been aware of the commissions received by his son, Papa Massata Diack. In another part of the file, still under investigation, he is suspected of having influenced several attributions of major sporting events.

Papa Massata Diack, the sulphurous son

Papa Massata Diack, the son of Lamine Diack. AFP / SEYLLOU

"PMT", as he is nicknamed, Lamine Diack's son smells of sulfur. He took refuge in Senegal and will be absent from the trial. It is through the structure he set up - Pamodzi Sport Consulting, whose account is domiciled in Singapore - that millions of euros have passed through. Luxury consultant of the IAAF when his father was president - he invoiced his services 1100 € per day - the offspring led a great life.

Become marketing manager of the IAAF, he punctuated directly (via a percentage of up to 21.8%) and indirectly (via intermediary boxes in which he was a shareholder), impressive commissions on sponsorship contracts, depriving the IAAF of certain resources. Man likes to live in 5-star hotels, buy luxury watches in jewelry stores in Paris (for more than € 750,000 between March 2009 and April 2012) or Abu Dhabi, and powerful cars (in February 2007, he offered himself, through his company, a Mercedes for more than 100,000 € then a Porsche in 2013). A lifestyle that necessarily questions.

He is also accused of being a centerpiece in the Russian doping case. His numerous trips to Moscow in 2012, text messaging and money transfers, tend to show that he was the one directly negotiating with Russian leaders to delay the sanctions.

Habib Cissé, the lawyer friend

French lawyer, he was the legal advisor to the IAAF, and by extension, that of Lamine Diack. Habib Cisse, suspected of having played the intermediary between the IAAF and Russian athletics, will be present at his trial. Several emails were seized from his home. One is addressed by Papa Massata Diack on December 26, 2012 and explains: “Apparently a Russian athlete sells the wick on the doping system. A bomb from Russia. Habib Cisse, who is supposed to deliver the notifications to athletes in person, finds himself at the heart of the discussions when Liliya Shobukhova, threatened with suspension, demands reimbursement of the € 450,000 she paid in 2011, against "full protection".

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"Habib, plan to return the € 50,000 received on the Shobukhova case on Monday," Papa Diack wrote to him. Valentin (Editor's note: Balakhnichev, the president of the Russian federation) claims a full reimbursement of this sum. Please specify the practical details. "Hello, I'm going to give AB (Editor's note: Assane Ba, Papa Massata Diack's assistant) half today. I need about 15 days for the other half (note: half) . I will explain to AB why. Thank you for your understanding, ”he replies, in an exchange that leaves little room for doubt.

Gabriel Dollé, a doctor above all suspicion…

How did this Frenchman whose CV is as long as his arm (Editor's note: doctor within the French fencing federation, head of the anti-doping office at the Ministry of Sports, president of the medical commission at the French federation of athletics) he found himself on the dock? This Alsatian - childhood friend of Pierre Weiss, ex-secretary general of the IAAF, called as a witness - was a doctor responsible for the fight against doping within the IAAF, until September 2014.

He is accused of having slowed down the sanctioning process for several athletes. He received three payments, from Papa Massata Diack (€ 50,000 in 2013), from Lamine Diack (€ 90,000 in 2014) as well as from € 50,000 in 2015, from an unidentified person. During one of his hearings, he admitted having received € 50,000 from Papa Massata Diack, who told him that “it was in the context of what he was doing for the management of Russian cases. So, while some people in the IAAF medical service are concerned that Russian athletes, whose biological passports demonstrate that they use doping, are not suspended, the doctor requests counter-analyzes. Thus delaying the sanctioning procedures.

Valentin Balakhnichev and Alexei Melkinov, the Russian accomplices

Subject to an arrest warrant, the two former great accomplices of the Russian Federation will be absent. Former middle-distance boss Alexei Melkinov essentially played the intermediary between the athletes and the duo Papa Diack-Habib Cissé. It was he who tried, in 2014, to convince the marathon runner Liliya Shobukhova after returning from maternity, not to resume competition. The Russian athlete, who three years ago, paid € 450,000 against "full protection", then claims reimbursement of the sums, before throwing the pot to the world anti-doping agency.

Former vice-minister of sports in Russia, Valentin Balakhnichev - ex-treasurer of the IAAF and ex-president of the Russian athletics federation - is also one of the key figures in the dossier. In 2013, its assets increased from € 200,000 to more than € 2 million. The two men were banished for life.

Source: leparis

All tech articles on 2020-01-13

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