Coe 'misled' MPs corruption inquiry

The chairman of the Culture, Media and Sport select committee leading an MPs inquiry into doping in sport has accused IAAF president Sebastian Coe of withholding information from them.

Coe told the committee in December 2015 that he was unaware of any specific details surrounding allegations of corruption in the Russia doping scandal, saying: "I was certainly not aware of the specific allegations that had been made around the corruption of anti-doping processes in Russia."

MPs have twice had invitations for Coe to return to give further evidence turned down but he did acquiesce to two requests from MPS to release missing correspondence between himself and Michael Beloff, the chair of the IAAF ethic commission.

These emails include one from Coe from August 2014 in which Coe stated regarding the corruption of anti-doping processes in Russia: "I have now been made aware of the allegations."

MPs had wanted Coe to return after athlete David Bedford gave evidence to the committee which appeared to contradict the former Olympic champion's.

Coe has declined the invite on two occasions and also has denied that the released emails reveal any discrepancy from what he said in 2015 to the committee.

But the committee chair Damien Collins believes Coe has questions to answer.

"Whatever excuse he gives, it is clear that Lord Coe decided not to share with the committee information that was relevant to our inquiry on doping in sport," he told the BBC.

"The committee asked him about his knowledge of doping in Russian athletics and of corruption within the sport. In his answers, he gave the impression that he was unaware of specific allegations.

"Thanks to evidence that was presented by the BBC Panorama programme last year, and by David Bedford to the committee this January, we can see that he was aware, at least in general terms, of the allegations that had been brought forward by the Russian athlete Liliya Shobukhova."

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