MOSCOW, January 11 Spanish Anti-Doping Agency (CELAD) at published a statement on its official website in which it denies accusations of concealing doping procedures and violations of anti-doping rules by Spanish athletes.
Relevo previously reported that CELAD left unpunished athletes who violated anti-doping rules several times between 2017 and 2022 with the connivance of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). On January 5, WADA announced the start of an investigation into the Spanish Anti-Doping Agency. Spain's Supreme Sports Council (CSD) later publicly demanded the resignation of CELAD director José Luis Terreros following allegations of a cover-up of irregularities.
““All of this news is untrue and is simply curious and biased speculation that arose as a result of sensational interpretations that are far from the current rules and the rights of each athlete,” the agency said in a statement.
In response to allegations of a cover-up of positive doping test results, CELAD stated that the “suspension of sanction procedures” was due to legal necessity so as “not to infringe on the rights of athletes.” CELAD also said that it is not aware of any investigation by WADA or any actions taken by the agency.
Relevo previously reported that not a single Spanish athlete was sanctioned over a five-year period. At the same time, WADA not only did not take action against this practice by CELAD, which could not have been unaware of through its ADAMS system, but also subsequently awarded the head of the Spanish Doping Control Department (DCD) Jesus Muñoz-Guerra. The functionary himself is accused of falsifying government documents, for which the private prosecution demands a total of nine years in prison with a special disqualification for another eight years.