The head of RUSADA’s investigation department, Leonid Ivanov, told how a well-known sports lawyer intervened in the investigation of a high-profile case.
In May, RUSADA, following an investigation, disqualified four doctors for life in Chuvashia for prescribing a prohibited method for athletes – intravenous infusions of various drugs. Additionally, as a result of the investigation, decisions were made to disqualify a number of athletes.
– With all the indignation towards the Chuvash doctors, they are artists. Were you able to locate the customers?
– Unfortunately no. Criminal cases were not opened, the doctors went on the defensive and only received a sporting disqualification.
“It looks like everything fell apart. Many have understood: athletes can be “stabbed”, that’s fine. Well, they will be removed from the sport. Not even from the profession.
“The criminal sanction would be more effective. And the perpetrators would have told the inquest more in order to offload some of the blame. But our efforts weren’t enough, although they honestly tried to shake up the story. Curiously, the working group of the Chuvashia Republic did not look into the problem either.
– Lawyer Artem Patsev played a key role in it. Later, information appeared: RUSADA no longer cooperates with the working group. Out of mistrust?
– In his comments, Artem compared the level of the group with McLaren or Oswald commissions. It was very strange when the request came: they want to interview us for an investigation. It’s as if acquaintances of a person under investigation would want to interview investigators to make sure their work was correct. Incredible story.
– What did they answer?
— That we see no reason to participate in the investigation. This was then presented as a refusal to cooperate. Although it is enough to look at the anti-doping rules and understand: before the results are processed, we are not allowed to comment on organizations and individuals. The collaboration could have discredited the investigation rather than benefited from it. And for the government of Chuvashia, it would be more correct to interact with us, and not to create interference in the form of public figures who tried to influence the course of the investigation.
Source : MatchTV
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