O’Connor’s solicitor considers legal action on theft of sample
Andrew Coonan of Coonan Cawley also revealed that security at the firm's Naas office had been tightened following the break-in at the head offices of the EFI.
He also claimed that the FEI had yet to make contact with him following the revelation that part of the B sample believed to be the urine sample had gone missing.
"It's very much in a state of flux," he said. "We don't know what the procedure is. There was quite clearly a situation where the urine was sampled and analysed in the first instance. If they are sampling blood in the second instance, is it reasonable to compare the two? Is it comparing like with like?"
O'Connor's witnessing analyst, Laurent Bigler from Switzerland, flies to Hong Kong this morning in expectation of testing on the remainder of the B sample getting under way on Friday.
However, Coonan claimed he had yet to receive official FEI confirmation.
"What I need is a letter from them confirming that Dr Bigler may attend and that Dr Bigler is acceptable to them," he said.
The testing process, if it does get under way this Friday as originally planned, is expected to take up to three days to complete.
Asked if they were considering legal action, Coonan said: "Nothing can be ruled out at this stage.
"We can't make any decisions until the results of the second sample are in, but I would like them to get a result as quickly as possible.
"This turn of events is entirely unhelpful. We have tried to be as open as possible and Cian is anxious that he would be as open and as up front about this as possible.
"What information we have is minimal. He wants a B sample analysis carried out. He thinks that will show that the A sample is incorrect, and if that is the situation it will resolve the matter."
"There is such a catalogue of unusual events here that if the wrong A sample was analysed, that wouldn't surprise me at all," he added.
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