The Swiss sports court has sentenced a Swiss doctor to a 14-year suspension and a fine of 14’000 Swiss francs for multiple violations of the Doping Statutes.
The doping affair surrounding a Bernese doctor became public in January 2018 as a result of research by ARD and the online magazine “Republik”. As already communicated at the time in a statement by the Antidoping Switzerland Foundation (now Swiss Sport Integrity), criminal charges were brought after several years of investigations into the matter. In a penalty order dated July 5, 2022, the doctor was declared guilty of several violations of the Federal Act on the Promotion of Sport and Exercise.
In December 2021, Swiss Sport Integrity applied to the Disciplinary Chamber (DC) to open disciplinary proceedings in order to obtain important information during the ongoing criminal proceedings. After repeated insistence by Swiss Sport Integrity due to several years of proceedings without any apparent progress by the DC, the World Anti-Doping Agency also expressed its great dissatisfaction with the conduct of the proceedings by the DC. Thanks to the creation of the Swiss Sports Tribunal, the dossier was placed in new hands and pushed forward with the necessary urgency. After consultation with the parties, a main hearing was held on December 10, 2024.
The Bernese doctor has been found guilty by the Swiss Sports Tribunal of repeated distribution (Art. 2.7 Doping Statutes), attempted administration (Art. 2.8), possession (Art. 2.6) and use (Art. 2.2) of prohibited substances. The doctor had supplied testosterone, growth hormones and tamoxifen to so-called “sports friends” and other persons. Furthermore, he had repeatedly attempted to administer or distribute erythropoietin and testosterone to an elite athlete. In addition, the active endurance athlete and triathlete repeatedly administered testosterone, growth factors and erythropoietin to himself to enhance his performance. With regard to a possible violation of article 2.9 of the Doping Statute (complicity), he was acquitted. The Swiss Sports Tribunal has therefore sentenced the Bernese doctor to a 14-year suspension, taking into account the provisional suspension in place since December 27, 2021, and a fine of CHF 14’000. In addition, the convicted athlete must pay the costs of the proceedings as well as party compensation to Swiss Sport Integrity totaling CHF 29’000.