The IAAF head confirmed the former Namibian sprinter had not resigned completely but had "decided to step away from all this as he needs time to sort all this".

The Briton said Fredericks would not attend the next meeting of the IAAF's ruling Council, scheduled to take place next month.

Coe had previously claimed Fredericks, who has resigned as a member of the IAAF Taskforce on Russia and as the chair of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Evaluation Commission for the 2024 Games, would remain part of the Council despite the ongoing ethics investigation.

The IOC Ethics Commission is looking into payments a company linked to the four-time Olympic silver medallist received three days before Rio de Janeiro was awarded the 2016 OIympic and Paralympic Games in 2009.

The 49-year-old has denied any wrongdoing but has relinquished all IOC responsibilities as the investigation unfolds.

It comes after European Athletics head Svein Arne Hansen claimed individuals under suspicion for any potential ethics breaches should immediately step down from sporting roles while allegations are investigated.

"I have spoken to him [Fredericks] regularly since this issue came out and he decided to step away from all this as he needs time to sort all this," Coe said in Kampala prior to the start of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships.

"He also indicated that he will not attend the Council meeting in London."

According to Le Monde, French police are probing a company linked to an influential Brazilian businessman which reportedly paid $1.5 million (£1.23 million/€1.42 million) to a firm set-up by Papa Massata Diack, the son of Senegal's former IAAF President Lamine Diack.

This allegedly took place shortly before Rio was chosen as the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic host at the 2009 IOC Session in Copenhagen on October 2.

At the time Lamine Diack was a voting IOC member. 

Fredericks, who was replaced as the chairman of the IOC Evaluation Commission by Patrick Baumann, has also been implicated after receiving funds from Papa Diack during the same period.

Documents provided by American tax authorities showed how Papa Diack transferred $300,000 (£245,000/€284,000) to a Seychelles-based offshore company called Yemli Limited in 2009, through Pamodzi Consulting.

Yemli Limited is linked to Fredericks, who referred himself to the IOC Ethics Commission when the accusations surfaced on March 3.

He insists the funds are related to a marketing contract dated March 11, 2007, which was due to go towards developing various events including a Relay Championships, an IAAF Marketing Programme, the African Athletics Programme, the IAAF Continental Programme and the African Athletics Championships.