Former IAAF anti-doping chief charged

The IAAF's former anti-doping chief has been placed under criminal investigation, suspected of taking about 200,000 euros ($A304,000) in bribes in an alleged cover-up of positive Russian doping tests.

The French office for financial prosecutions says Dr Gabriel Dolle joins former International Association of Athletics Federations president Lamine Diack and Diack's legal adviser Habib Cisse under formal investigation.

Diack is being investigated on preliminary charges of corruption and aggravated money laundering. Dolle and Cisse face only the corruption charge.

Dolle was released on Wednesday from police custody on 100,000 euros ($A152,000) bail after judge Renaud Van Ruymbeke, one of three investigating magistrates in the case, formally placed him under investigation.

Dolle was the director of the IAAF anti-doping department until last year.