Disgraced ski coach transferred land on day prosecutor office enquiry began

Mati Alaver.
Mati Alaver. Source: ERR

Former national ski coach Mati Alaver filed to transfer ownership of land to his daughter on the same day the prosecutor' office announced an investigation into ski doping allegations which occurred on his watch, ERR's online news in Estonian reports.

The land, a little over a hectare, at Kääriku, a ski resort village near Otepää in South Estonia, was transferred to his daughter, Kristel Alumaa, taking effect on March 14, three days after the prosecutor's office announcement, according to newspaper Äripäev.

Alaver had jointly owned the land with his wife, Raili Alaver.

Both Alaver and Kristel Alumaa declined to comment to the daily, though Mati and Raili Alaver have free and unlimited personal use rights under the terms of the transfer, according to Äripäev, meaning they could still use it as a residence, should one be built on the land.

On March 11, Alaver was detained first at his home in Tartu and then taken to a Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) station for further questioning, as reported by ERR News at the time.

He was subsequently released, after the prosecutor's office announced it was to open the investigation, following revelations that two Estonian skiers, Karel Tammjärv and Andreas Veerpalu had been supplied with illicit doping substances by German doctor Mark Schmidt, while at a competition in Austria. Alaver told ERR shortly before the opening of the investigation that he had introduced Tammjärv to Schmidt, calling it "the biggest mistake of my life",  but denied allegations that he had tolerated the use of doping.

He was later stripped of two state honors by president Kersti Kaljulaid, and had his coaching status revoked by the Estonian Olympic Committee.

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Editor: Andrew Whyte

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