It’s another cover up by the Spanish authorities and this time it is in sport. The world publicised case against the Spanish doctor (and we use that word loosely), Eufemiano Fuentes, who is at the centre of probably the biggest ever doping scandal took another bizarre turn.
He has been handed a one-year suspended sentence when he was found guilty of ‘endangering public health’, which brings to a close the case, ‘Operacion Puerto’.
But the craziness relates to the courts decision to allow some 211 blood bags from 35 sports persons to be destroyed. These bags were seized in raids seven years ago and could possibly incriminate some of Spain’s most prominent sports stars of the last decade.
Anti doping agencies as well as people involved in sport and otherwise are outraged at this bizarre decision by the Spanish courts.
Although the bulk of the investigation was said to be focused on cycling, Eufemiano Fuentes also claimed that he had worked with runners, tennis players and footballers, which could have effectively brought the amazing achievements of the Spanish heroes tumbling down in disrepute.
Lots of top sports men and women are gob smacked at the decision, including Andy Murray who took to Twitter to say, “operacion puerto case is beyond a joke… biggest cover up in sports history? why would court order blood bags to be destroyed? #coverup.”
All anti-doping agencies are livid about the decision as access to the evidence was their motivation in the case, and of course bringing any cheats to justice.
WADA are currently reviewing all options available to them in regard to appealing the case and as a result could not make any further comments until 17 May 2013
The UK Anti-Doping chief executive, Andy Parkinson, added: “We are disappointed in the decision by the Spanish authorities. Dr Fuentes has admitted to having been involved in multiple prohibited doping activities, and linked with multiple unnamed athletes. It therefore cannot be right that these names will remain unknown and that no immediate action can be taken by the anti-doping community to protect our clean athletes.”
Fuentes himself is banned from working in the sports environment as a doctor for 4 years and was fined a measly 4,650 euros. He is regarded as one of the biggest ever doping rings in sport and seems to have got away with it!
With such a public eye on this case it is utterly amazing that the Spanish would openly try and cover up a massive sports crime.
