Manuel Malta da Costa exposes doping in horses

The Portuguese Equestrian Federation (FEP) is accused of withholding information relating to positive cases of doping in sport horses.

According to the Olympic Portuguese rider Manuel Malta da Costa (Seoul 1988), four positive cases of doping have inexplicably been shelved and retained in the Secretary General’s drawer for more than a year. An accusation that is denied by the national federation.

In a statement to Agência Lusa, Manuel Malta da Costa revealed that there are serious irregularities in the midst of the FEP, besides these “four positive doping cases in horses”.

The rider explained that he wrote a letter to the Portuguese Sport Institute (IPD), (a of copy which was examined by Lusa) where he exposed these suspicions on 25 July 2006.

According to Manuel Malta da Costa, the four cases in question are not recent, and it is alleged by him that his statements in this regard resulted in an attempt on his life.

“Two years ago I was a target in an attempted homicide. I took the case to Court and now the judgement date has been set. A sport such as ours, supposedly practiced by the elite where principles should exist, has become the end of the world”, he stated.

Manuel Malta da Costa advised Lusa that he had reported these events to the President of the FEP who has reverted to silence.

For Manuel Malta da Costa the matter assumes serious proportions, since one of the doping cases relates to a junior rider, under the responsibility of the national coach for junior riders. The occurrence was detected at a national championship in 2006.

“The lack of technical competence and sporting ethics of the national coach was brought to the attention of the President of the FEP by me.”

Agencia Lusa contacted the Vice-President of the FEP, Mr Paulo Branco, who excused himself from any comments on the positive doping cases, reiterating there is a policy of total transparency within the FEP.

“All I can say is that these accusations are false and defamatory. Mr. Mamual Malta da Costa has for many years had a defamatory attitude toward all FEP Managements” concluded Paulo Branco.

However, the FEP Secretary General, Manuel Bandeira de Melo, the main target of Manuel Malta da Costa’s accusations, confirmed that there were “no doping cases pending” on his desk.

The FEP veterinarian, Francisco Camacho, responsible for the collection of urine samples, explained to Lusa that he is not advised by the Laboratory concerned of the subsequent results of the lab tests.

“I send the forms to a Lab in France (Horseracing), and I do not get any feed back on this. If the lab tests are positive, the Federation is notified” explained F. Camacho, avoiding any comment on what he considered to be “rumours” so as not to add to the current speculation.

However, the vet commented, that he did not find it unusual in the event that positive doping cases were found that a year should have lapsed without a decision.

“When a rider is under suspicion he has the right to request a second test. It is a procedure that may take some time, resulting even in the possibility that the Lab may not have the initial urine sample – as they do not have large facilities to store all lab tests” he further commented that the case may also be pursued with TAS (CAS) the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Published in all major newspapers:
Agencia Lusa
Correio da Manhã
Jornal Notícias
Diário de Notícias
Jornal Record and several others.