Annabel Grossman
THE Spanish doctor at the heart of the blood-doping scandal has received a one year suspended sentence following a 10-week trial in Madrid.
Eufemiano Fuentes has been found guilty of endangering public health after overseeing a large-scale doping operation within the cycling industry.
However, in a move that has angered the Spanish anti-doping agency, Judge Julia Santamaria refused to hand over additional evidence presented during the trial which could have led to further investigations.
Santamaria instead ordered blood bags and documents seized from Fuentes’s clinic to be destroyed.
The blood bags will now remain in storage in Barcelona until an appeal by the agency is heard.
When the clinic was raided in 2006, doping was not illegal in Spain so Fuentes and his co-accused could only be tried on public health charges.
The doctor stood trial with four others, including his sister Yolanda and former manager of the Kelme cycling team, Jose Ignacio Labarta.
Labarta was also found guilty and handed a four-month prison sentence.
Although the case was only limited to work with cyclists, Fuentes admitted that other clients included athletes from football, boxing and tennis.
Under Spanish law, sentences of less than two years handed to those with no previous convictions are suspended meaning Fuentes will not have to serve a custodial sentence.
It could only happen in Spain, OK Italy too.
That corrupt judge ordered the over 200 bags of blood to be destroyed, I have heard nothing in the UK or French press to say that this has been delayed.
DNA tests would have put the spotlight on footballers/tennis players/skiers and lots of other sports.
This case and the laughable judgement handed down shows the whole world how rotten is the core of Spanish society, they could’nt give a damn what the world thinks.
Time to ban all their sports people from international competition- it worked against apartheid South Africa and it will against corrupt Spain as well.