Report: ‘Doctor Mabuse’ on trial again in France

Bernard Sainz, a homeopathic French doctor long-linked to various doping allegations dating back decades, will go on trial in France over a new set of charges.

French media reports that Sainz, nicknamed “Doctor Mabuse,” was filmed with a hidden camera in 2016 discussing how to dope in sport, charges that he refutes.

The 78-year-old could face a variety of charges, including the illegal practice of medicine, the illegal practice of a pharmacist, and encouraging the use of prohibitive substances in sport, reported Le Telegramme.

Also facing charges is Loïc Herbreteau, 45, a former cyclist who put other athletes in touch with Sainz, as well as Pierre-Marie Carlier, an actor who sent his son, a semi-pro cyclist, to see Sainz in order to improve his performance, the paper reported.

Sainz, who is not a licensed medical doctor, has been linked to horse racing and cycling for decades.

He worked with the French Mercier team in the 1970s and was linked to Frank Vandenbroucke and Philippe Gaumont, now both deceased, in the late 1990s.

In 2008, a French court handed down a three-year prison term after being accused of administering doping products to athletes and practicing medicine without a license.