Senegal rejects former IAAF official's extradition request by France

Senegal has rejected to extradite former International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) marketing consultant, Papa Massata Diack, son of the organisation’s ex- president Lamine Diack.

Massata is accused of covering doping offences.

Massata Diack was placed by Interpol on its list of most wanted on January 14 after an arrest warrant was issued by France for alleged corruption and money laundering.

“We will never extradite a Senegalese. We will never surrender a son,” said the Senegalese Prime Minister, Abdallah Mahammad Boun Dionne before Members of Parliament on Thursday.

In 2015, blood test records of athletes who competed in major competitions were leaked. A number of athletes, according to the leak, appeared to have doped “with impunity”.

The leak also claims that the athletes payed bribes to conceal the blood test results, of which Diack was a beneficiary. An investigation by the World Anti-Doping Agency in November found systematic failure by the IAAF to prevent an affective into the doping programme.

Diack junior denied the extortion and bribery allegations.

He was charged together with IAAF treasurer Valentin Balakhnichev, former IAAF anti-doping director Gabriel Dolle and the Russian federation’s former chief coach for long-distance athletes, Alexei Melnikov.

The IAAF gave Diack, Balakhnichev and Melnikov lifetime bans. Dolle was handed a five-year ban for his part in the doping scandal