Armstrong’s Italian doctor may face criminal charges for money laundering

Tweet

London, Oct 19(ANI): Banned cyclist Lance Armstrong’s notorious doctor Michele Ferrari, who was also banned in July by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), could face criminal charges in Italy in connection with an alleged 24 million pounds doping ring.

According to an Italian paper, a probe, launched by Padua investigators in 2010, has also uncovered his participation in business dealings and money laundering spread across several European countries, the Telegraph reports.

Under the heading ‘The Ferrari System’, it said investigators had uncovered a scheme in which up to 24 million pounds was circulated thanks to the use of Swiss bank accounts and complicit individuals in key positions, it added.

The report labelled it the largest doping investigation in sports history, dwarfing the Operation Puerto scandal from May 2006 when dozens of cyclists and athletes were implicated in a blood doping network run by a Madrid laboratory, it said.

The paper further added that it is alleged that the police investigation has unearthed evidence of a scheme that offered a package of services from drawing up contracts, coaching, drugs and the help of medical experts if a rider tested positive.

The USADA report last week found evidence of payments from Armstrong to Ferrari totalling more than 600,000 pounds, the paper said.

But this week Ferrari denied having any professional relationship with Armstrong after 2005, it added. (ANI)