The Spanish Anti-Doping Agency, investigated for alleged misuse of public funds

The State Anti-Doping Agency (CELAD), the Spanish public body in charge of protecting the right to health of all athletes and the right to participate in a competition without cheating, under conditions of equality, is in the spotlight. A complaint sent to the Ministry a couple of months ago details how Spanish athletes were left unsanctioned despite having tested positive in anti-doping controls or how the consumption of certain medications was authorized retroactively to cover a doping case. In addition, there is evidence of controls awarded to the PWC company that were carried out with a single agent when the regulations require “at least two”, which invalidates a positive. “The complaint is very serious. We are talking about more than just malpractice. There are signs of a crime,” explains to EL PAÍS the president of the Higher Sports Council (CSD), José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, who received the corresponding report this Tuesday, of about 80 pages, from the Ministry of Education and Sports. This report, the result of an in-depth investigation, details alleged irregularities in the control and punishment of doping in sport and shows alleged misuse of public funds.

This same Tuesday, Rodríguez Uribes decided to transfer the result of the investigation to the State Attorney General's Office, which must confirm whether it observes rational indications of the commission of a crime. A decision agreed upon with the undersecretary of the Ministry and with the State's lawyer. The CSD also sent the original complaint to the Prosecutor's Office, as well as the reports requested from the Director of the Agency, José Luis Terreros. Rodríguez Uribes asked him for explanations following the information published in the media. And he, who was unaware of the investigation in detail, initially sent a more concise document and, upon requesting more information, went on to argue whether the presence and signature of a single anti-doping agent was sufficient, as seems to have occurred systematically in the recent years and despite the fact that the regulations require a minimum of two.

Terreros' position as director of CELAD now hangs by a thread. His continuation will be addressed at the next meeting of the Agency's governing council as soon as possible. The Secretary of State for Sports, who cannot appoint or dismiss the director of the Agency, despite the fact that it depends on the CSD, wants to be able to count on all the elements of judgment when making the appropriate decisions. And he must do it, furthermore, within the framework of the governing council of CELAD. That is why he hopes that as long as he can convene said council, within which a decision must be made, there will be some response from the Prosecutor's Office. “We don't necessarily have to wait for a judge to determine the crime. The complaint is serious enough,” says Rodríguez Uribes, however. However, the tempos and forms must be respected. Currently, the governing council must update its members; The council is represented by officials from the Ministry, the autonomous communities and the federations and it is the ministries, recently renewed, who must propose the names of its members. The president of the CSD hopes to be able to convene it as soon as possible to be able to make a decision about Terreros, who, meanwhile, remains the director of the agency.

The original complaint that sparked the investigation into the practices at CELAD refers to particular cases, with names and surnames, of Spanish athletes. One of these cases refers to a positive test without sanction from a national athlete in 2019. As explained Relief, the Spanish agency allowed the maximum time allowed by the regulations (one year) to pass between the opening of the file and the communication to the athlete; After 365 days, she sent the notification by postal mail, which delayed its arrival and allowed the athlete in question to complain to the Sports Administrative Court (TAD), which agreed with her because the sanction had been communicated after the deadline. legal. There was no sanction. Nor was there one for Patrick Chinedu Ike, another positive in the same year 2019, as published eldiario.es. He continued competing until last summer.

You can follow EL PAÍS Deportes in Facebook and xor sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter.