The French Court of Cassation has decided to send Papa Massata Diack, former marketing consultant for the International Athletics Federation (IAAF, now World Athletics), back to the Paris Court of Appeal for a new trial.
This decision concerns a corruption case which had already led to Massata Diack being sentenced at first instance and on appeal to five years in prison and a fine of 500,000 euros. The Court of Cassation considers that the Court of Appeal did not sufficiently justify Diack’s guilt for “complicity in passive corruption”.
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Papa Massata Diack, son of Lamine Diack, former president of the IAAF, is accused of having participated in a bribery scheme aimed at covering up cases of blood doping among Russian athletes before the London Olympics in 2012. In exchange, Russian sponsors would have extended their contracts with the IAAF.
In addition to these accusations, Massata Diack is said to have embezzled around 15 million euros through shell companies. This referral on appeal offers Massata Diack a new reprieve for this case, emblematic of corruption scandals in sport.
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