Diack tells police of Russian political donation

Paris - Newspaper Le Monde says former IAAF president Lamine Diack told French police he asked for $1.6 million from Russia to help finance the political opposition in his native Senegal. The request came at a time when the IAAF was dealing with a slew of Russian doping cases.

Police took Diack into custody in November for questioning, and Le Monde says it has seen transcripts of the hearings.

Le Monde says Diack told his questioners that he asked for the money in 2011 from Valentin Balakhnichev, then president of the Russian track and field federation.

According to Le Monde, Diack said he wanted to finance the Senegalese political opposition against then President Abdoulaye Wade.

Contacted by Le Monde, Balakhnichev denied having had such a conversation with Diack.