Person of interest warned of $5500 fine daily
Stuart Honeysett
The Australian
December 14, 2013 12:00AM
DARREN "The Gazelle" Hibbert could become the first person to be fined $5500 a day for failing to co-operate with ASADA investigators looking into the use of peptides in the NRL after his interview was called off in Sydney yesterday.
Hibbert, a known associate of sports scientist Stephen Dank and a figure central to the anti-doping investigation confronting the NRL, was warned by investigators about the penalty after talks broke down within an hour yesterday.
ASADA recently had its powers strengthened to compel people to submit to interviews or risk a fine if they decline.
The legislation was passed to allow investigators to speak to people such as Hibbert and Dank, who allegedly supplied peptides at Cronulla in 2011.
Hibbert turned up to ASADA's offices in Sydney yesterday sporting his trademark blond mop and an unusual gift for interviewers: an esky containing ice-cream with peptides (not surprisingly he left with as many cups as he arrived with).
The Australian understands that Hibbert had argued through his lawyer Zali Burrows that due process wasn't followed during the issue of his disclosure notice after it contained only one signature compared to the obligatory three.
Hibbert has maintained he has never administered a banned substance to any player even though an independent report commissioned by Cronulla found he injected players with the banned peptides CJC-1295 and GHRP-6.
"I've got nothing to hide so I'm going to tell the truth and see what happens," Hibbert told the Nine Network.
"I've never given any banned substances to any athlete.
"I've always said I'd co-operate with them. They're just trying to understand what small proteins or peptides are."
While Hibbert was facing interviewers, former ASADA boss Richard Ings was praising the NRL for the way it had handled its investigation following another wave of criticism against NRL chief executive Dave Smith.
Smith on Wednesday presented a report to the ARL Commission into the drug protocols of all 16 of its clubs, with a particular focus on Cronulla, but sidestepped any questions at a press conference yesterday as to when the Sharks will be punished.
The NRL boss will determine any penalties against the club and there has been speculation it is looking at a fine of around $500,000 while staff could be stood down, including a 12-month ban for coach Shane Flanagan.
"There is no doubt that the NRL got off to a bumpy start after the press conference on February 7," Ings said. "They made some very critical, strategic decisions early in the piece to separate the anti-doping investigation, which they left to ASADA, from the governance investigation which they retained in-house.
"They're in a very good position now to make findings with regard to their code of conduct while being patient to wait for ASADA to complete its more serious anti-doping investigation."
Ings wasn't the only official to comment on the NRL's investigation yesterday. Outgoing World Anti-Doping Agency president John Fahey said he had no regrets for blasting the code earlier this season.
Fahey launched a scathing attack after ASADA's interview process with Cronulla players broke down, claiming the NRL lacked leadership and the AFL's anti-doping investigation by comparison was a breath of fresh air.
The NRL has been praised for its slow but steady approach while the AFL, and chief executive Andrew Demetriou in particular, has been slammed over the backroom deal offered to Essendon coach James Hird.
