Russia?€™s Investigative Committee has requested help from U.S. authorities to investigate criminal charges against the whistleblower who exposed large-scale doping violations in Russian sport.
Grigory Rodchenkov, the former director of Russia's anti-doping laboratory, was charged with abuse of authority earlier this month. He is also accused of destroying 1437 doping test samples at the laboratory in 2014.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accused Rodchenkov last year of covering up a sophisticated doping program, backed by Russian officials.
Speaking during an interview with the Vesti FM radio station, Investigative Committee spokesperson Vladimir Markin said that a formal request had been sent for Rodchenkov to be questioned ?€?on matters that are important to us.?€?
Rodchenkov moved to the United States shortly after the Moscow laboratory was shut down by WADA in November 2015. In May, he told American newspaper New York Times that a state-backed doping program at the Sochi Winter Olympic Games had seen urine samples switched during the night and passed through a hole cut in the wall. The allegations led to calls for Russia?€™s victories at the Sochi Olympics to be annulled.
The Kremlin has denied the allegations, calling them ?€?slander from a turncoat.?€?
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