After more than a year of waiting for Spanish authorities to complete their work, Italy's anti-doping authority announced this week that it intends to take action against suspected offenders in the Operación Puerto doping scandal.

Spanish judicial officials dropped charges against several riders in October of 2006, noting that use of performance-enhancing drugs was not illegal at the time of the alleged infractions. Other riders, including Alejandro Valverde and 2007 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador were cleared after a review of documents in the case.

But the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) announced on its Web site on Wednesday that its anti-doping prosecutor had "acquired elements useful to the pursuit of disciplinary proceedings to establish any eventual responsibility regarding the violation of anti-doping regulations".

The agency claims jurisdiction because it is responsible for ensuring that foreign nationals who compete in Italy had not broken anti-doping regulations. The panel plans to interview both Valverde and Contador in connection with the case.

Operación Puerto came to the public’s attention in May of 2006 when police raids in Madrid and Zaragoza uncovered large quantities of anabolic steroids, laboratory equipment for transfusions and more than 200 bags of blood.

The investigation was closed by a judge in March without laying any charges after it was concluded no offences were committed under Spanish law, when charges were originally leveled in May of 2006.

After refusing to cooperate with investigators, Basso eventually admitted to “attempted doping” and he was suspended for two years. He is eligible to return to racing in October of this year.