MPs are seeking fresh answers from Lord Coe

LORD Coe has been asked to reappear before the Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) select committee by the end of this month after “some doubt” was cast on evidence he gave to MPs in December 2015 about corruption within athletics’ world governing body.

The decision to recall the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) president to parliament followed Tuesday’s testimony from Dave Bedford that, in the words of one MP, “undermined” Coe’s answers to the CMS panel.

Bedford, a former London Marathon director and chairman of the IAAF’s road-racing commission, spent 90 minutes answering questions on warnings he gave Coe in 2014 about senior officials at the IAAF allegedly blackmailing Russian marathon runner Liliya Shobukhova to cover up positive drugs tests.

In a statement CMS committee chairman Damian Collins said: “From what David Bedford said to us today it would seem he spoke to Lord Coe on two occasions about the case he had submitted to the IAAF ethics commission, as well as sending him emails and text messages.

“There are questions that arise for us about this, and in particular the level of knowledge that Lord Coe had about the serious allegations that had been made.

“We know that Lord Coe forwarded David Bedford’s email to (IAAF ethics board chairman) Michael Beloff, and it would also appear there was some communication between them before he did so.

“David Bedford’s purpose in getting in touch with Lord Coe was not to ask him to do that, as the evidence had already been submitted. He clearly felt that Lord Coe needed to know about the allegations that had been made.”