Inspector PJ says blood transfusions were a widespread practice in the W52-FC Porto cycling team.

The Inspector of the Judicial Police (PJ), who signed off on much of the procedures of Operation Prova Limpa, defended in court this Friday that blood transfusions were a “widespread practice” in the W52-FC Porto cycling team.

Hearing as a witness at the new court session, held in the pavilion of the Pacos de Ferreira prison, Inspector Francisco Portugal explained how, following an anonymous complaint, the Court launched Operation Prova Limpa, based first on wiretapping and interception of communications, and then and searches.

He therefore detailed the contents of the hearings between sporting director Nuno Ribeiro and the cyclists, about which substances and when to take them, as well as others, among other defendants, concerning the purchase and payment of substances from various suppliers.

The team’s financial director, Hugo Veloso, was also mentioned by the inspector, who said that he had reimbursed the expenses spent on doping drugs by other team members, and also recalled that the practice of repeated blood injections (blood transfusions) was recorded in wiretaps.

“I realized that this was a widespread practice in the team,” Francisco Portugal said, later reporting that during the searches, bags of blood were seized in several places, including hotels, apartment buildings, and also on the team bus.

As for the “boss” of the team, Adriano Quintanilla, his involvement was questioned several times by lawyers, while the inspector noted that he was not mentioned in the wiretaps, although he had to authorize the payments, without being able, however, to guarantee that he knew it was relative.

The accused, João Manuel Pereira Rodrigues, a pharmacy technician from Vila Nova de Famalicão, changed his mind and testified in court today, explaining that he gave drugs “without a prescription” to José Rodrigues, assistant director and massage therapist of W52-FC Porto. .

Defendant denied knowing Jose Rodriguez or any other defendant well enough to know what the substances were used for, confirming the sale of several doping products to Jose Rodriguez over a period of over two years.

The next court hearing in the Prova Limpa case is scheduled for March 15.

In the trial, which began in February, all 26 defendants are responsible for the crime of trafficking in substances and prohibited methods, but only 14 of them are responsible for the use of substances and prohibited methods. their intention to speak out.

Portugal’s Anti-Doping Authority (ADoP) sanctioned the cyclists present, with the exception of Jorge Magalhães, whose trial is still ongoing with the sporting body. All of them are serving sanctions for doping, and seven of them – Joao Rodrigues, Rui Vinhas, Ricardo and Daniel Mestre, Samuel Caldeira, Jose Neves and Ricardo Vilela – received reduced sentences for admitting their guilt.

Cyclists João Rodrigues, Samuel Caldeira, Ruy Viñas, Daniel Mestre, Ricardo Viñela, Ricardo Mestre, Daniel Freitas and four other accused have already been heard, pharmacist Karina Lourenço, Caldeira’s sister-in-law, Vilela’s cousin Marco Paulo Vilela Magalhães, Ruy Souza and another technician -pharmacist Joao Rodriguez.