IOC keen to see emails from son of former IAAF president Lamine Diack
Thursday 14 January 2016 14:36, UK
The International Olympic Committee has requested the copy of an email from the son of former IAAF president Lamine Diack to a Qatari business executive apparently asking for "parcels" to be sent to six IOC members.
Papa Massata Diack, who worked for the international athletics body as a marketing consultant, was banned for life last week by the independent IAAF ethics committee for blackmailing Russian athletes to cover up positive drugs tests.
The Guardian has now published details of an email from Diack junior to a Qatari business executive sent in May 2008 while Qatar's capital Doha was bidding to host the 2016 Olympics.
The email suggests that six people, referred to by their initials which correspond with six members of the IOC at the time, had requested "to have their parcels delivered through Special Adviser in Monaco".
It is not known whether any "parcels" were sent - a month later the IOC's executive board dropped Doha from the shortlist of candidate cities due to the capital wanting to host the Games in October of 2016 to avoid the summer heat.
Lamine Diack was an IOC member at the time. Both he and his son are being investigated by French police on suspicion of taking money to cover up positive drugs tests.
An IOC spokesman said the organisation had requested a copy of the email, and added: "We would be very happy indeed to pass it to the ethics commission to investigate."
Qatar is to host the 2022 football World Cup and Doha the 2019 world athletics championships. Qatar insists both bids were completely above board.
Sebastian Coe was elected IAAF president in August and has found himself at the head of an organisation mired in a corruption and doping crisis.
