The Equestrian Community Integrity Unit (ECIU) has dismissed the complaint against the FEI filed by Dressage rider Yvonne Losos de Muñiz of the Dominican Republic.
Ms Losos de Muñiz, through the Federación Dominicana de Deportes Ecuestres, had unsuccessfully sought to annul the qualification of Brazil for the individual Dressage place in Group E for the London 2012 Olympic Games and qualify the Dominican Republic instead. The FEI Tribunal ruled against Ms Losos de Muñiz and a subsequent appeal filed with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) was also rejected.
Ms Losos de Muñiz then lodged a formal complaint with the ECIU against the treatment she claimed she had been subjected to by the FEI throughout the judicial process, during both the FEI Tribunal and CAS hearings.
In a brief report announcing its findings, the ECIU stated that it had conducted a thorough investigation of the allegations contained in the complaint, which included reviewing extensive written materials and interviewing numerous witnesses with information about the case. The conclusion is that there is no evidence to support Ms Losos de Muñiz’s complaint. The ECIU found the FEI to have acted appropriately throughout the course of the highlighted proceedings.
“I am very happy that the ECIU concluded that the FEI acted professionally throughout this difficult process,” FEI Secretary General Ingmar De Vos said. “We always strive to approach our athletes, stakeholders and members of our community with competence, respect and fairness and I have the utmost confidence in the FEI staff. The ECIU reviewed this sensitive matter thoroughly and found no flaws in the way it was handled by the FEI. As far as we are concerned the case is closed and we wish Ms Yvonne Losos de Muñiz all the best for her further equestrian career.”
While the full ECIU report is confidential, a briefing document provided by the Integrity Unit is available here.
The full text of the decision is available here.
The subsequent appeal filed with the CAS was also dismissed. The Court upheld the decision of the FEI Tribunal dated May 3, 2012.
The ECIU is an independent entity which monitors corruption, identifies offenders and conflicts of interest, and is essential for safeguarding horse welfare. It is run by Quest Limited, an internationally renowned organisation that specialises in sports investigations and has conducted high-level inquiries for the English football Premier League and Formula 1. Quest has acquired a substantial knowledge of equestrian sport and has built an extensive intelligence system that is being used to help monitor the sport on a global basis. Anyone wishing to report concerns they have regarding integrity issues can contact the ECIU. All communications with the ECIU are confidential.
More from Horse Sport:
