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Former president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (now World Athletics) Lamine Diack and his son Papa Massata Diack requested that his trial be postponed because two of their lawyers are unable to travel to Paris for the case.
The case against the Diacks and four others is due to begin in Paris on Monday, June 8. They have already had multiple delays.
Apparently the younger Diack’s lawyers are unable to travel from Dakar in Senegal to France because of restrictions of in regards to international travel due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The request is set to be reviewed on June 8, when the hearing is due to start.
The trial includes Gabriel Dollé, former director of the IAAF’s medical and anti-doping department, Alexei Melnikov, former head coach of long-distance races at ARAF, Habib Cissé, lawyer and ex-legal advisor, Valentin Balakhnichev, former president of the Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) as well as former treasurer and vice-president of the IAAF.
Lamine Diack was president for 16 years from 1999 to 2015. He is charged with “giving and receiving bribes”, “breach of trust” and “organised money laundering.”
He could spend the rest of his life in jail.
