The Kremlin has strongly rejected the allegations made against President Vladimir Putin that he was involved in a state doping scandal:”This is another slander that does not carry a grain of truth in it,”Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists in Moscow on Tuesday morning.
Whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov had said in a telephone interview with the ARD’s doping editorial team that Putin knew of the events:”Of course it came from the president,”said the former head of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory, who after his revelations in the USA lives in the FBI’s Witness Protection and fears for his life.
Rodchenkow is convinced that Putin was informed of all the details by Witali Mutko, then Sports Minister and now Vice Premier,”He knew everything because it was a very simple chain: I told Nagornich (the then Vice Sports Minister, Yuri Nagornich, d.), who was a member of the European Parliament. Red.), Nagornoch reported Mutko, Mutko reported Putin.”
Mr. Rodchenkov is wanted, an investigation is under way against him,”the Kremlin spokesman said,” he is a heinous person who has problems with the law. He really can’t be treated as a credible source.”