Lamine Diack

France’s financial prosecutor’s office confirmed on Wednesday that the former head of the international athletics federation had been placed under formal investigation as part of a probe into suspected corruption.

In a statement sent to Reuters, the prosecutor’s office said magistrates had placed Lamine Diack, 82-year-old former head of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), had been placed under formal inquiry along with his legal adviser Habib Cisse.

A doctor in charge of anti-doping affairs at the IAAF, had been taken into custody too in the inquiry, which was prompted by a complaint from the world anti-doping agency, the statement said.