WADA demands Operation Puerto evidence be preserved
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has responded to Monday’s announcement that evidence collected in the Operation Puerto investigation would be destroyed, publicly announcing on Wednesday that the evidence
must be preserved.
“WADA continues to be very frustrated by the slow wheels of Spanish justice in this case,” said WADA president John Fahey to VeloNation. “We continue to emphasize that the evidence gathered by law enforcement
during the investigation needs to be preserved for sharing with sport and anti-doping authorities.”
On Monday it was revealed that the Spanish doping investigation was nearing its end. The case against Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes, who is said to have helped 200 athletes to dope, will be reviewed and a final
ruling by Judge Arturo Beltran is expected to be on the horizon.
“When the final ruling is issued, after a possible appeal, then it is likely that in the end all the blood bags and evidence will be destroyed,” said Beltran.
Fifty names have been made public since the case began, with Jan Ullrich, Ivan Basso and Alejandro Valverde being among the many cyclists on the list, but the remaining names (those of non-Spanish athletes)
do not fall under the jurisdiction of the case.
“One could probably find out which athletes doped with Fuentes,” said Madrid prosecutor Eduardo Esteban. “But since Spanish criminal law isn't relevant to them, this investigation will not be conducted.
And therefore is is most likely that no new names or sports will appear in the case against Fuentes.”
The investigators have seized blood bags, banned substance and coded records of clients from Fuentes during the case. The doctor admitted that not only cyclists but footballers, tennis players, basketball
players and others were among his clients.
"While some of this evidence might not be necessarily used in court, it certainly can be crucial in the sanctioning processes for individual athletes who may have committed doping offences,” said Fahey.
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