Singapore's Tan Tong Han was given the sentence after giving "false information" to a Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau employee, The Straits Times reported.

Black Tidings was connected to an athletics scandal which saw three officials handed life bans for blackmailing athletes to cover up failed drugs tests. 

Papa Massata Diack, the son of former International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) President Lamine, former IAAF treasurer and Soviet Union athletics coach Valentin Balakhnichev and Russian race walk trainer Alexei Melnikov were all kicked out of the sport for their role in the scheme.

According to The Straits Times, Tan said that Papa Diack, who is wanted by Interpol but remains in his native Senegal, told him to give a "fake story" if ever questioned on the matter.

All three officials denied wrongdoing but it was ruled that they had been guilty of blackmail since 2011, receiving payments including £435,000 ($634,000/€583,000) from Russian marathon runner Liliya Shobukhova.

Tan reportedly received money at Black Tidings from a Senegalese company linked to Papa Diack called Pamodzi Consulting.

An invoice to Pamodzi was issued for the money with a description of work that was never carried out, it is claimed.

He then reportedly paid money to the account of Shobukhova's husband.

When questioned, Tan claimed the incoming money was for work Black Tidings carried out at the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing.

He said he was tricked into making the outgoing payment by a John Pierre Bonor, who was later revealed not to exist.

Tan has admitted that Black Tidings did not do any work for Pamodzi, The Straits Times reported.

He has been allowed to start his jail term on February 20 because of the Chinese New Year holiday.

Black Tidings has also been linked to potential corruption in Tokyo's successful bid for the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. 

Last week, Japanese Olympic Committee President Tsunekazu Takeda was indicted on corruption charges in France as part of an alleged vote-buying scandal.

Takeda denies wrongdoing and claimed he was "never involved in any decision-making process" relating to payments worth $2 million (£1.5 million/€1.75 million) made to Black Tidings.

Tokyo was awarded the 2020 Games at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Buenos Aires in 2013, when Lamine Diack was a voting IOC member.

It is alleged that money was diverted to the older Diack to sway the votes of other members.

Takeda claimed it was merely a "consultancy contract signed through appropriate approval procedures".

Lamine Diack is being held in France on corruption charges.