April 14/08 1:43 am - Ullrich Buyout Ends Investigation

Posted by Editor on 04/14/08
 

Ullrich Buyout Ends Investigation

German media are reporting that former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich has paid a substantial fine to end the fraud investigation that the public prosecutor in Bonn has been pursuing for nearly two years. Prosecutors had accused Ullrich of using performance enhancing drugs which, under German law, led to fraud charges of deceiving the public, his team and his sponsors.

The ongoing action included a raid of Ullrich's residence and the seizure of material which Bonn investigators will now be able to use in future doping investigations. The agreement, which is reported to be 'six figures' (with quoted figures ranging from 250,000 to one million Euros) means that Ullrich has not been found guilty of the charges.

On his personal website (janullrich.de), Ullrich stated: "There can be no confession because I have never cheated anyone.... I [accepted the settlement] to free my family from the public pressure of the matter ... the payment is not an admission of guilt. The public attorneys never challenged me to make one."