IAAF Ethics Board extends suspension on officials

Three senior athletics officials have had their provisional suspension from the sport extended by the Ethics Board of the International Association of Athletics Federations.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that investigations have continued into the officials’ alleged involvement in a suspected cover-up of Russian doping cases.
Nick Davies, who was chief-of-staff to the IAAF President, Seb Coe, was initially suspended along with his wife, Jane Boulter-Davies, and the IAAF medical manager, Pierre-Yves Garnier, in June.
The Board in a statement said the suspensions had been extended until January 2017 to allow for the conclusion of the disciplinary investigative process, including any hearing ensuing from the investigations.
Davies stood down from his role last December pending the investigation into a “potential breach of the IAAF’s code of ethics”.
According to the statement, each of the three individuals continues to enjoy the presumption of innocence and the extension of the orders for provisional suspension should not be interpreted.
The investigations relate to an e-mail reportedly sent by former IAAF consultant, Papa Massata Diack, to his father, the then IAAF President, Lamine Diack, in July 2013.
The email allegedly showed the three suspended IAAF officials were in receipt of, or had knowledge of, a cash payment to withhold details of attempted cover-ups of Russian doping cases.
Other e-mails leaked earlier this year showed Davies had discussed with Papa Diack.
The discussion was about developing a media strategy to limit the news impact of a series of positive tests by Russian athletes ahead of the 2013 Moscow world athletics championships.
Davies said that the mail was merely “brainstorming for a media strategy’’ and that he had done nothing wrong.
Davies said: “I was conned and never for a second was I told, or thought, this money was to ensure cover-ups of doping in Russia. That would have been abhorrent to me.
“I thought I could trust Lamine Diack and it was my job to promote and protect the image of the IAAF and the World Championships.
“I was never mixed up or aware of the criminal activities which are now in the public domain.”
The French authorities are investigating Lamine Diack and Papa Diack on charges of corruption and money laundering.
Papa Diack has denied any involvement in bribery or corruption and says his father Lamine was also innocent.
At the time of the initial suspensions in June, the Ethics Board said Davies, a former IAAF general secretary and head of communications, received an undisclosed cash payment in 2013.
The money was from Papa Massata Diack.
Davies stated: “The circumstances and concealment of this calls into question whether the payment was intended to have and or in fact produced any manipulative effect.”
Boulter-Davies allegedly received, or knew about, a payment to Davies.
Garnier allegedly received an undisclosed cash payment at the direction of Lamine Diack and “retained some part of the sum even when aware of its apparent impropriety”.