Former IAAF president turns on son at corruption trial

Former IAAF president Lamine Diack pointed a finger of blame at his son, saying he behaved like a thug, as he was quizzed in detail for first time in court on Thursday on charges that governing body of track and field became a nest of corruption and doping cover-ups under his leership. degree to which Diack was aware of alleged squeezing of hush-money from Russian athletes suspected of doping remained unclear from his often confused, contrictory and uncertain testimony.  Frequently, 87-year-old Diack seemed t to have fully understood or heard lengthy, detailed questions posed by panel of judges.

Former IAAF president turns on son

Diack ackwledged, however, that he h intervened in manment of suspected cases of doping by Russian athletes, giving instructions that y be handled in a way that would avoid a scandal that could disrupt negotiations with a Russian sponsor and tarnish 2013 world championships in Moscow. Rar than having a group of Russian athletes being sanctioned at same time, we said procedures should be spre out, Diack said. He repeatedly said that his overriding concern h been to secure long-term funding for IAAF, including by wrapping up sponsorship deal with Russian bank VTB.

It was essential. For that I was prepared to make compromises," Diack said. Prosecutors say he did much more than just that. Diack and one of his sons, Papa Massata Diack, are on trial on corruption, money laundering and breach of trust charges. son is being tried in his absence, having fled in 2015 to Senegal, where he lives.  y are accused of having conspired toger in a scheme that allegedly squeezed millions of dollars in hush-money from athletes who paid to avoid doping sanctions and keep competing.

Pressed by chief judge about his son's role, Diack at first gave an inaudible response before saying: He conducted himself like a thug.  prosecution alleges that Diack abused his position to put Papa Massata Diack, who worked as an IAAF marketing consultant, at center of a system that enabled son to cream off millions from governing body's revenues.  far-son partnership also worked toger in hushing-up suspected Russian doping for money, prosecution says.

judges repeatedly struggled to get clear and coherent answers from Diack. He spoke fluently and with clarity about events early in his life and earlier in his career that were unrelated to charges against him. But Diack and judging panel repeatedly h trouble understanding each or in exchanges about details of case. As IAAF president, Diack oversaw an era when Usain Bolt me track and field wildly popular. But Diack said in court that behind scenes, IAAF was in financial difficulty and that he was driven by a need to secure its long-term stability by signing sponsors before his presidency ended in 2015. Financial health ahe of everything, he said.

Im credits: AP