Landis case twist: hacking lab computer

Landis case twist: hacking lab computer

French national police have summoned Landis and his longtime coach, San Diego physician Arnie Baker, to answer questions in connection with the illicit access of the computer system of the French laboratory that tested Landis' samples from the Tour. Neither attended a May 5 court appearance, according to media reports, and now the head of France's anti-doping agency is calling for international authorities to get involved.

“If it is the only way for Floyd Landis and Arnie Baker to explain themselves,” AFLD president Pierre Bordry was quoted in French by Le Monde newspaper, “I won't hesitate to demand the judge issue an international arrest warrant.”

Baker, an icon in the local cycling community, did not return phone or e-mail messages. Landis, who lives in Idyllwild, was unavailable for comment.

Bordry reported in late 2006 that the computer system at the LNDD lab outside Paris had been breached and several sensitive documents pirated. The documents, which indicated the French lab had corrected mistakes in other doping cases, turned up in fraudulent e-mails sent from the lab's e-mail server to various anti-doping agencies and journalists.

Baker also included some of the documents in “The Wiki defense,” a series of Power Point presentations at bike shops and ultimately an online book he authored to vouch for Landis' innocence.

But French authorities became suspicious when one of the recipients of the stolen documents, Montreal anti-doping lab director Christiane Ayotte, conducted a history search on the file – a copy of which she provided to the Union-Tribune. The previous user is listed as “Arnie.”

Detectives in a special information technology crime division, according to French media, tracked the LNDD incident to Kargas Consultants. In the process of the investigation, they also discovered that Kargas was behind hacking into the computer of an executive from Greenpeace, allegedly on behalf of a French nuclear energy company.

The man accused of gaining unauthorized access to the French lab's computer, Alain Quiros, reportedly said he was paid 2,000 Euros (about $2,800) by Kargas, but it remains unclear whether there is direct evidence that Baker or anyone else in the Landis camp commissioned the job. Le Monde wrote that detectives linked Baker through an IP (Internet Protocol) address.

The Le Monde story also said Baker wrote a letter in response to the police summons, asking a series of questions about the French legal process but not indicating when or if he might appear.

Landis, 33, is part of the OUCH cycling team that is competing in North American races this season. He is not expected to race in France.