The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) has issued an explanation for its requirement that sporting organisations keep secret their knowledge of anti-doping investigations conducted by the Agency.
ASADA said the statement was intended to provide information about its processes and should not be attributed to any individual cases.
Chief Executive of ASADA, David Sharpe (pictured) said that since 2006, ASADA had been entering into legally binding confidentiality undertakings with sporting organisations to restrict what they saidy.
“This is, and always has been, ASADA’s standard practice,” Mr Sharpe said.
“One of the reasons why ASADA has these agreements is to protect the integrity of our investigations.”
He said the investigations enabled ASADA to target facilitators who might be preying on Australian sport and its athletes and it went to great lengths to get to the core of potential anti-doping violations.
“The assessment by ASADA as to whether information is disclosed publicly is made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the facts and circumstances of the matter,” Mr Sharpe said.
“Often it is not in ASADA’s interests for our investigation to be public in the early phase of our processes.
“In simple terms, what would a facilitator of doping do if they were to become aware of ASADA’s investigation?”
He said from ASADA’s experience this would result in evidence being destroyed, or its investigation frustrated by the fact that it was subject to public commentary.
“Despite our powers, ASADA can never restrict an athlete’s right to discuss or talk about their case in public,” Mr Sharpe said.
