June 18, 2011 (Finland) – Dr. Pekka Koponen, who last week said on Finnish TV that he purchased EPO for Jari Isometsa testified on Wednesday in the STT doping trial. This trial is for charges of perjury against four individuals – skier Jari Isometsa, and Finnish Ski Association officials Jari Piirainen, Antti Leppavouri, and Pekka Vahasoyrinki regarding their testimony during the libel trial against the Finnish news agency STT, founded in 1887, is an independent national news provider.

This libel trial stems from a story by STT that all four knew of doping in the Finnish XC ski team on or before February 1998. Koponen testified that he purchased EPO for Isometsa three times – twice at the Kemi University pharmacy and once at the Old Pharmancy in Haparanda, Sweden between 1998 and 2000. Koponen was allowed to use Isometsa’s name because he was making the purchase as a friend and not as his physician and thus would not violate doctor/patient confidentiality.

However, the court also heard conflicting testimony from two pharmacists from the Kemi University pharmacy reports the Helsingin Sanomat International Edition.

The first pharmacist, Heikki Pennanen stated that Koponen purchased EPO from him twice between 1996 and 1999. Before the first purchase Koponen called to the pharmacy inquiring about availability and price but said that he was waiting for payment before placing the order. He then called again to place the order and picked it up. Pennanen said that he paid 11,000 Finnish marks in small bills.

Pennanen felt at the time that the EPO would be used for doping and while he was prohibited in court from naming anyone due to pharmacist/patient confidentiality laws, he said he felt that the EPO would go to a “certain individual”.

The second pharmacist, Tuija Poutanen told a different story. She said that she answered the phone for the first call and passed it on to Pennanen. She also testified that someone else other than Koponen came to the pharmacy to pick up the EPO carrying a prescription from Koponen. She said that she gave the EPO to this person, who she could not name due to pharmacist/patient confidentiality.

She went on to say that there was another attempt to purchase EPO but it was refused because regulations had been tightened by the Finnish Medicines Agency (FIMEA) so that only specialized doctors could prescribe EPO and that Koponen did not have the necessary qualifications.

Most importantly she testified that these prescriptions happened in 1995-1996, not later as testified by Koponen.

This testimony is very significant because this trial focuses on the knowledge of the four accused of doping within the Finnish Ski Association before February 1998. This is the time that STT reported in its original story. The accused are being tried for lying about their knowledge of doping at this time. They won the original libel case and were awarded damages.

Both the prosecution and the defence lawyers are now trying to confirm the dates of the tightening of regulations by FIMEA. By Thursday there had been no answer to their inquiries.

The trial is now almost finished. The prosecution was to sum up on Friday and the defence on Monday. A decision is expected by the end of the month. The prosecution is asking for suspended sentences for the four defendants.

Read more HERE.