UK drug busters ‘act like gangsters’
A FORMER boxer who is pursuing a financial settlement from the UK Anti-Doping agency for confiscating his property nine years ago then losing it has described the drugbusting organisation as ‘ totally i ncompetent, s t af f ed by s ome people who act like gangsters and who couldn’t organise a p***-up in a brewery.’ Heavyweight Larry Olubamiwo, now 42, tested positive for the illegal blood-boosting drug EPO in 2012 and, unlike most, immediately admitted doping. He also came clean about using other banned substances, saying many elite athletes dope. He was handed a four-year ban, reduced to 14 months for ‘substantial assistance’. He was asked to bring any drugs he had to his hearing, where UKAD confiscated 3,000 anabolic steroid pills, despite his protests. They agreed he could have them back when he retired.
Olubamiwo (left) served his ban and resumed fighting, mainly to fund a degree and to put himself through drama school, and in 2019 asked for his pills back. He is now an actor.
UKAD had lost his pills but declined to compensate him or take any liability for doing so. Olubamiwo won a small claims court victory against CEO Nicole Sapstead personally but UK AD still wouldn’t pay £227.96 due him.
It is believed that UKAD spent many hours from 2019 dealing with the matter. It is understood as recently as March this year UKAD said they would settle on the condition Olubamiwo signed a gagging order; and that UKAD would accept no liability; and that Sapstead would still chase him for costs as she tried to get the court ruling overturned. Olubamiwo approached The Mail on Sunday after reading UKAD were being investigated. Since the MoS asked UKAD about this matter last month, UKAD has said any settlement won’t include a gagging order and that UKAD will accept liability.
A spokesperson said: ‘This case has taken up a significant amount of time, so UKAD has expressed its willingness to settle, which amounts to £227.
‘This claim should have been made against UKAD as an organisation, not an individual. Nicole Sapstead has applied to the court for the judgment against her to be set aside and is willing to waive her costs in this case.’
Olubamiwo said: ‘ There’s so much incompetence at UKAD it’s unreal. They took my property, which they had no right to do. And then they lost it.
‘After the court judgement UKAD offered me money, but only if I signed paperwork saying they had no liability and I could never speak about this.
‘ My dad died last March, my wife Danielle is due to give birth, we’re trying to move house, and the last thing I need is even more stress. Dealing with UKAD is like dealing with gangsters.
‘They took my property, lost it and haven’t compensated me. This is a body entrusted with enforcing anti-doping and are incapable of clearing up simple right-and-wrong issues. They couldn’t organise a p***-up in a brewery.’