PARIS (AP) — Le Monde newspaper said it obtained documents showing that a former IAAF official received two payments totaling about $3.5 million from Qatari investors before the vote for the 2017 athletics world championships.
The newspaper claimed Friday that two payments from Oryx Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), an investment fund linked to the Qatari government, were made to Pamodzi Sports Marketing in October and November 2011, days before the vote.
Pamodzi is held by Papa Massata Diack, a former marketing consultant at the IAAF who has been banned for allegations of extorting hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Russian marathon runner to avoid a doping ban before the 2012 Olympics.
Qatar eventually lost out to London but was later awarded the 2019 Worlds.
Papa Massata Diack is the son of former IAAF president Lamine Diack. Interpol has issued a global notice for his arrest in connection with a separate French corruption investigation that also implicates his father.
According to Le Monde, which claims the documents were gathered by U.S tax authorities, a bank transfer of nearly $3 million was made to Pamodzi on Oct. 13, 2011, with another nearing $500,000 sent on Nov. 7, four days before London won the vote.
In an email to The Associated Press, the IAAF declined to comment since the case is currently being investigated.
Papa Massata Diack is also at the center of a French investigation into possible corruption in the bidding for the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.
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