Warsaw  - Former Polish sports minister Tomasz Lipiec went on trial Thursday on five criminal charges including corruption and fraud in 2004-2007.

Lipiec, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, faces up to 10 years in prison on conviction, the Polish Press Agency PAP reported. He did not comment to reporters and the trial was closed to media.

Prosecutors did not reveal the total amount of alleged bribes involved, but the amount is "at least 100,000 zloty (29,587 dollars)", according to the weekly Wprost.

Lipiec, 38, is a former light athlete and Olympian in race walking.

He was sports minister during a conflict between Poland's conservative government and the Polish Football Association which led the prime minister to suspend the executive committee amid claims they were not doing enough to stamp out corruption. (dpa)