This archive report was first published on 17 June 2020.
On June 17, 2020, the prosecution in the corruption trial of former global athletics supremo Lamine Diack called for him to serve four years in prison and be fined a maximum of Sh59.7 million (500,000 euros).
Diack, a Senegalese national, is accused of delaying punishment for Russian athletes who failed doping tests in exchange for payment, with the aim of protecting prospective sponsors.
As the head of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) from 1999 to 2015, Diack faces charges of giving and receiving bribes, breach of trust, and organised money laundering.
Prosecutor Francois-Xavier Dulin argued that Diack's actions had far-reaching consequences, affecting athletes worldwide.
Diack has maintained that he is not motivated by money, despite being wealthy, and claimed he delayed bans for 23 Russian athletes to safeguard the financial health of the IAAF.
However, the court has heard that several of the Russian athletes involved went on to win medals at the 2012 London Olympics.
Diack's son, Papa Massata Diack, is also on trial but remains in Senegal, where he has been refused extradition to France.
World Athletics, now led by Britain's Sebastian Coe, is seeking 41.2 million euros (approximately $46.3 million) in compensation from the Diacks, citing the doping scandal's impact on major sponsors.
