Beech Mtn said:
I also read it as Plant hired private investigators to compile the report. Which brings up a whole load of questions why somebody on the management committee would need to do that to prepare this dossier on a colleague.
Although the way the article is written in The Telegraph, it could go either way (McQuaid using the PIs or Plant using the PIs). Either way, would love to know what's in that report. Hopefully something will leak.
Plant is very likely NOT the guy hiring PI's. Plant has a **long** history of doing Thom Wiesel's dirty work.
The list of people who would not think twice about blowing a few thousand quid on PI's looks like:
Makarov - UCI Management committee and has some history of public disclosure of Hein and Pat's side business licensing the term "Tour of XYZ" out of a private, not-disclosed company name. For example, Makarov wanted to do a "Tour of Russia." You pay some private company to license that title. And the UCI won't budge until you pay the private company.
Wiesel - Owner of USAC, former sports fraud partners with Hein and Pat
There's a Kuwati sheik on the management committee who I cannot find much on in English. He'd have the money. But, I have **zero** clue what his agenda might be.
My wild and crazy guess is Cookson would not do it. It's the hardest possible route to UCI Presidency. It might be possible to authorize the expenditure with the UCI, as the Management Committee's rules are secret.
My first guess is Wiesel. He's a smart guy though, so I am probably wrong.