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Sports

Fighting

corruption in

sports Lamine Diack(FILE PHOTO)

n September 16, 2020, former athletes, runner Liliya Shobukhova, scheme, dubbed “full protection,”
Oglobal athletics Chief Lamine who later testified to investigators that got Russian athletes suspected of
Diack was jailed and upset in sports about illicit payments to hush up doping paying about 3.2 million euros
but a confirmation of the ever present doping. Beaten by Shobukhova at the ($3.74 million) in hush money. “The
suspicion of sports administration’s 2011 Chicago Marathon, Daunay was money was paid in exchange for a
involvement in corruption. The former a civil party to the case. program of ‘full protection,’” she said,
president of the IAAF had been facing Daunay who the court awarded adding the scheme allowed athletes
corruption and money laundering damages totaling 45,000 euros who should have been suspended
charges in France. ($53,000), described the verdict as a “purely and simply to escape
He was sentenced to two years in prison victory for all athletes who were robbed sanctions.” “You violated the rules of
for corruption during his nearly 16- of prizes and results by having to race the game,” the judge said.
year tenure at the IAAF, over notable against competitors who should have Also handed guilty verdicts by the
scheme that allowed Russian athletes sanctioned but instead paid to benefit court are five other people, including
to paid millions in hush money to keep from the doping cover-up. Diack’s son, Papa Massata Diack,
competing when they should have “Behind my mask, you can’t see it, but who worked as an IAAF marketing
been suspended for doping. I’m smiling,” she said. “I’m pleased, consultant. The judge said $15 million
The guilty verdict in a Paris court too, for all the athletes. We have to was funneled to the younger Diack’s
represented a spectacular fall from keep up the fight against doping.” companies, including commissions
grace for the 87-year-old Diack, who Diack’s legacy was shattered after and money creamed off contracts
was the powerful head of the IAAF his arrest in France in 2015 and the and the sale of TV rights and other
from 1999-2015 and mixed with world subsequent revelations of widespread
leaders and was influential in the malfeasance, which paints another transactions while his father was in
world of Olympic sports. The court period for sports reminiscent to the charge at the IAAF. The federation
also sentenced Diack to another two June 2, 2015 resignation of Sepp Blatter, is now called World Athletics, part
years of suspended jail time and fined the then president of international of the makeover undertaken by the
him $590,000. soccer’s governing body FIFA, just a federation to rebuild its reputation
His lawyers said they will appeal an few days after he had been re-elected battered by the Diacks.
action that is keeping Diack out of jail to a fifth four-year term. The younger Diack lives in Senegal,
for now, while one of Diack’s lawyers, His resignation came amid U.S. which has refused to extradite him,
Simon Ndiaye, called the verdict Attorney General Loretta Lynch’s however, the court sentenced him in
“unjust and inhuman” and said the investigation into FIFA activities which his absence to five years in prison and a
court made his client a “scapegoat.” “uncovered decades of bribery totaling fine of 1 million euros ($1.17 million).
Diack was found guilty of multiple more than $150 million.” In all, 14 The court also awarded 16 million
corruption charges and of breach people, nine of whom were current or euros ($18.9 million) in damages to
of trust but acquitted of a money former FIFA executives, were indicted the IAAF, roughly one-third to be
laundering charge. on federal racketeering charges. Seven paid by the Diacks and the rest by
Among those in court, and thrilled were arrested near FIFA headquarters four others found guilty, alongside
by the verdict, was French marathon in Zurich, Switzerland. Diack, among them was former IAAF
runner Christelle Daunay. She The judge, Rose-Marie Hunault, treasurer Valentin Balakhnichev, who
competed against one of the Russian detailed Diack’s role in the payoff was tried in his absence.

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