adminPARIS. — Former world athletics chief Lamine Diack denies helping fund Senegal president Macky Sall’s election campaign in 2012, his lawyers said on Saturday.
Diack has been charged in France with accepting Russian bribes to cover up positive drugs tests when he was president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
On Friday he was quoted in Le Monde newspaper claiming Russia had donated 1,5 million euros ($1,6 million) to help Sall depose Abdoulaye Wade, who was Senegal president from 2000 until his defeat to Sall in March 2012.
“President Lamine Diack insists that he never gave any money to the candidate Macky Sall who became Senegal president, nor to his election campaign expenses,” said a statement from lawyers Daouda Diop, Christian Charriere-Bournazel and Alexandre Varaut.
“Everything, in his statements to police and to the magistrate, demonstrates this.
“All contributions from Russia to Senegal had nothing to do with the functions or actions of Mr Lamine Diack in his position as IAAF president.
“He repeats that he did not seek nor acquire any personal accumulation of wealth.” — AFP.
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