Moscow, Dec 16 (IANS): Former director of Moscow Anti-Doping Centre and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) informant Grigory Rodchenkov gave prohibited drugs to Russian athletes under the veil of vitamins, an investigator of Moscow City Court said on Friday.

Earlier, the Russian Investigative Committee announced that Rodchenkov, who fled to the United States, was illegally selling pharmaceuticals and destroyed doping-probes of Russian athletes on purpose. Russia initiated a case against Rodchenkov based on the signs of abuse of authority, reports Sputnik.

"Rodchenkov was giving illegal substances under the guise of vitamins to athletes, which led to their disqualification," the investigator said.

Rodchenkov claimed that at least 15 Russian athletes who won medals at the Winter Olympics in Russia's Sochi were part of the so-called state-run "doping programme".

These accusation became the basis of an article published by the New York Times in May 2016.

After the publication, the WADA started investigation and upon its results recommended the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to suspend all Russian athletes from the 2016 Summer Olympic