New evidence of payments over Qatar's bid for track worlds
Documents show a former IAAF official received payments from investors before 2017 vote
Le Monde newspaper says it has obtained documents showing that a former IAAF official received two payments totaling about $3.5 million US from Qatari investors before the vote for the 2017 athletics world championships.
The newspaper claimed 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 life in a Russian doping and bribery scandal.
Papa Massata Diack is the son of former IAAF president Lamine Diack.
Qatar eventually lost out to London but was later awarded the 2019 worlds. The IAAF declined to comment since the case is currently being investigated.