Puerto reaches court seven years after doping raid
Five accused of public health offenses with Contador due to give testimony as witness
Seven years after the Civil Guard discovered more than 200 refrigerated bags of plasma and blood in the raids that led to the Operation Puerto doping scandal, five suspects will face trial from Monday.
Eufemanio Fuentes, the sports medic at the center of the case, his sister Yolanda, former medic to the Comunidad Valenciana cycling team, and its former director, José Ignacio Labarta, will be joined in the dock by Manuel Saiz, ex-team director of Liberty, and Vicente Balda, who occupied the same post at Kelme.
The five face charges of endangering public health, as doping was not listed as a crime in Spain until late 2006, after the events occurred. If found guilty, the five face up to two years in jail. Cyclist Alberto Contador, who spent two years at Liberty, has been called as a witness.
