Former ASADA boss Richard Ings says NRL players facing anti-doping interviews will not be pressured to answer questions, but they will be made aware assistance they provide could be beneficial in the long run.
The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority on Thursday begins interviewing 30 NRL players and officials over alleged use of banned substances in the code - with 10 current Cronulla players part of an investigation which has looked into possible systemic use of banned peptides at the club in 2011.
The Sharks squad members involved will not have their interviews until next week as they travel to Auckland for a match against the Warriors on Saturday.
New powers passed through parliament recently allow ASADA to compel people to attend interviews - and hand over any appropriate documents - with a potential fine of $5100 for every day they fail to co-operate.
But Ings said players and officials would still not have to answer questions.
"There's no obligation to answer any questions depending on the legal advice that you receive," Ings told AAP.
"That's how it would have played out before these laws were in place, how it plays out after these laws are in place and that's how it would play out in any other judicial setting.
"People are not compelled to necessarily answer questions or co-operate.
"They are expected to ... in these situations there may likely be benefits for people to do, but they are not obligated to."
Amongst those benefits are the possibility of a reduced suspension for anyone found guilty of a doping offence.
Ings said ASADA was not in a position to cut deals during the interview process. Any penalty handed down would be for the NRL anti-doping tribunal to decide.
The anti-doping agency simply gathers information to present a case of a possible offence.
"ASADA is the investigator and the prosecutor. ASADA is not the judge or the jury," Ings said.
"There will be a tribunal or the Court of Arbitration for Sport at the end of the day that will hear all the evidence from all the parties and make a binding decision.
"ASADA can't promise anything, but it has a duty to make players aware of all the issues surrounding what they say and particularly what they don't say."
The initial round of interviews were called off midway through the first interview with Sharks back-rower Wade Graham, where it's understood he was instructed by his lawyers not to answer questions that could be used against himt.
As the AFL did with their ASADA investigations, the NRL will now sit in on the interviews to gauge the level of co-operation by players and officials.
Ings said the presence of the NRL was not a major factor.
Ings was also adamant that the information gathered by the interview process would only form some of ASADA's evidence.
"The interviews are being held because ASADA believes there are questions to be answered," Ings said.
"Now we don't know how much or what it is - but undoubtedly they would have intelligence or information or whistleblowers or witness statements or Crime Commission information ... which will be pointing ASADA in a direction for what they need to look to, what they need to ask."
Share
