June 08, 2011 (Finland) – The trial of former skier Jari Rasanen and Finnish Ski Association officials Anttti Leppavuori, Pekka Vahasoyrinki, and Jari Piirainen on charges of aggravated fraud arising out of an earlier libel action against the Finnish News Agency STT continued this week in Helsinki with new revelations on Monday by former coach Kari-Pekka Kyro that another skier – Janne Immonen also used EPO – reports the Helsingin Sanomat International Edition.

Kyro, who appeared in court but not as a sworn witness (a bizarre process in the Finnish judicial system which suggests he’s not obliged to tell the truth), said that he learned of the EPO usage by Immonen in connection with a conversation that he had with Immonen during his coaching years. According to Kyro, Immonen had problems with blood haemoglobin values that were too high.

Immonen also belonged to the group of six skiers who were caught doping at the Lahti Nordic World Championships in 2001. Kyro stated that to avoid being tested at these championship races Immonen deliberately broke his ski pole and dropped out of the pursuit race.

Immonen, who was called in as a telephone-link witness on Tuesday (June 7), vehemently denied the allegations.

Kyro was named by the prosecutor as someone who’s testimony should be heard by the court because Kyro had some knowledge about Finnish haemoglobin values in the 1990s. Kyro had collected the data for his master’s degree dissertation, which has not been completed.

According to Kyro high haemoglobin blood values were seen as far back as 1992. He stated that these high values could not be explained by any other means other than doping. The values were especially high between 1997 and 2001. Apart from Immonen, Kyro has refused to name any other skiers.

The court also heard from Mika Myllya on Tuesday via a video link. Myllya had previously told police of his use of EPO and now testified that he had told coaches Pekka Vahasoyrinki and Antti Leppavuori of his use of EPO. These men have both denied in court of having any knowledge of doping. At first Myllya was reluctant to name the coaches but later conceded that they knew.

Myllya said that he acquired the EPO on his own and injected himself. This contradicts what he said as late as March when he named Kari Kajaus of the Vuokatti Sports Institute test centre as the one who administered the injections. Myllyla now says that what Kajaus injected him with was a Russian product that was a part of the Ski Association’s immunological program.

Myllyla was supposed to testify last week but was unavailable as he was receiving in-patient treatment for his much publicized alcohol and drug problem that has plagued him since he was banned from skiing for two years in 2001.

The sole skier charged in this case, Jari Isometsa, also appeared in court on Tuesday and denied systematically having used doping in the 1990s. He said that he was not aware of anyone else doping, or of the coaches offering forbidden substances.

The trial will conclude later this week with closing arguments from the prosecution and the defence lawyers. A verdict is expected by the end of June. The prosecutor has called for suspended sentences for all four defendants.

Read more HERE and HERE.