PARIS : The appeal trial of Papa Massata Diack, son of Lamine Diack, the late former head of world athletic’s governing body, against a corruption conviction opened in Paris on Friday, one of his French lawyers said.
His lawyers asked on Friday that the appeal be postponed because Papa Massata was under"legal supervision" in Senegal where he faces a similar investigation and could not leave the country, but the court rejected the request. Both men were convicted on fraud charges in France in September 2020. Papa Massata was sentenced to five years in jail and hit with a 1 million euro fine for his part in the scam.
Contacted in Senegal by Reuters, Papa Massata said he had been under"legal supervision" in Senegal for seven years and that he would let his lawyers discuss the case. He said he wanted to be able to concentrate on African sports.