McQuaid laptop seized in UCI probe

Private investigators seized former UCI chief Pat McQuaid’s laptop computer within minutes of him losing the presidency of the organisation to Britain’s Brian Cookson, it has emerged.

Staff from the corporate investigations company Kroll were waiting outside the UCI’s Swiss headquarters for the outcome of the presidential election on September 27.

Within minutes of Cookson winning the election, he had signed a form that was emailed to UCI staff in Aigle authorising Kroll to seize any IT equipment and documents.

Sources close to Cookson have confirmed that among the equipment seized was McQuaid’s laptop.

Cookson has set in motion an independent investigation into the UCI’s handling of the Lance Armstrong doping scandal and wanted to ensure there was no possibility of any cover-up. He and aides had arranged the plan of action with Kroll in the run-up to the election.

There have also been allegations of unethical conduct and corruption against McQuaid and former president Hein Verbruggen in a dossier compiled by Russian UCI management committee member Igor Makarov. Both McQuaid and Verbruggen have strongly denied any wrongdoing.

Cookson confirmed the seizure, telling the Financial Times: “They had to secure the computers. They took all the back-up tapes and all the IT stuff. They were available to make sure that nothing was destroyed that shouldn’t be destroyed.”