The chairman of UK Anti-Doping, David Kenworthy, has admitted the organisation made a “ghastly mistake” in its handling of an investigation into a doctor alleged to be supplying banned drugs to athletes, in the wake of the publication of a critical independent report into the affair.
The review, led by the former Merseyside Police assistant chief constable Andy Ward, was commissioned by the government following allegations that Dr Mark Bonar had prescribed performance-enhancing drugs.
The report said it was “difficult to understand” why information supplied by Dan Stevens, an amateur cyclist charged with failing to take a drug test in 2014 and banned for two years, was not passed to the General Medical Council, the regulatory body responsible for Dr Bonar.
Stevens was seeking a reduction in his two-year ban but Ukad ultimately ruled that the information he provided did not prove suitably useful under the “substantial assistance” rules laid down by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
The report, a substantial blow to Ukad’s reputation, revealed that the agency had been advised seven times by the athlete, his legal representatives and its own staff to notify the GMC, yet had failed to do so. Kenworthy said he was at a loss to explain why the information was not passed over.
“Frankly, I still do not know why we didn’t – we certainly talked about it,” said Kenworthy, a former chief constable of North Yorkshire. “It was a ghastly mistake and it should never have happened. Nobody is disputing that.”
The report also found that despite taking possession of an unsigned statement and documentary prescription evidence supporting the account provided by the athlete, it found no evidence that further action was taken apart from discussions with an independent doctor, and that no action was taken to contact the GMC until after the allegations surfaced in the Sunday Times. Nor was there any attempt to obtain a signed statement or further testimony from Stevens.
Ward also said that in light of the prescription evidence that had emerged, a press statement by Ukad in response to the Sunday Times allegations, which said there were not sufficient grounds to refer the case to the GMC, “should be revisited”.
The agency did eventually share its findings with the GMC, which has yet to comment.
The report made nine recommendations, including the suggestion that “unclear and confusing” guidelines surrounding what constitutes substantial assistance should be reviewed by Wada and Ukad.
Stevens’s frustration with Ukad led him to the Sunday Times, which then filmed Bonar with a hidden camera and quoted him as saying he had supplied performance-enhancing drugs to 150 elite athletes. Bonar has subsequently denied any wrongdoing.
It is understood that the information supplied by Stevens led only to the identification of four individuals, one of whom was from a non-compliant sport and three of whom were known to Ukad already.
Ward said the treatment of Stevens was harsh and possibly unfair. The report concluded that it was clear that “opportunities to gather intelligence, secure evidence and investigate Bonar have been missed”.
While four football clubs apparently named by Bonar in the hidden camera footage issued angry denials when the story appeared in April, and no athletes were named, the affair highlighted important issues surrounding the lack of overlap between the GMC, which has oversight of doctors, and Ukad, which is responsible for policing doping.
Kenworthy said that Ukad was determined to learn from its mistakes. “I have worked for four police forces and chaired two national charities, so I know everybody makes mistakes but that is how you learn. I also know Ukad is still the best anti-doping organisation in the world,” he said.
“It’s why the World Anti-Doping Agency asked us to pick up the pieces in Russia, why we’re providing know-how on intelligence-led testing at the Rio Olympics, why Japan is knocking on our door for advice on the next Rugby World Cup and 2020 Olympics and why Kenya wants our help, too.“That reputation was hard won but it can be easily lost: we have to learn from this and never do it again.”
