Top duo disciplined

Two of the most senior figures in world sport have been disciplined by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for taking cash payments from the collapsed sports marketing company ISL.

Issa Hayatou, a Fifa vice-president and head of African football, was sanctioned with a reprimand. Lamine Diack, the president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), was not sanctioned but was given a warning.

On Hayatou, the IOC’s written decision says he was given 100,000 French francs (£10,000) in cash in 1995. He has stated it was given for the 40th anniversary celebrations for the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The decision stated: “The ethics commission observes that Mr Issa Hayatou personally received a cash payment from ISL, which was, at that time, a marketing partner of Fifa, of which he was vice-president. It considers that personally accepting a sum of money in these conditions constitutes a conflict of interests.”

On Diack, it was noted that three cash payments were made in 1993 for $20,000, $10,000 and 30,000 French francs (£3,000) by ISL executive Jean-Marie Weber. The decision noted: “Diack said these were in order to meet the costs caused by a fire at his house started on 13 March, 1993 for political reasons. He [Diack] stated that these donations attested to the friendship of Mr Weber and were not given in return for anything or for any undertaking.”

The commission said Diack too had “placed himself in a conflict of interests situation.”