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Chopper company downplays Schumi scandal

BASLE, Switzerland - A Swiss helicopter company has played down reports it is at the centre of the scandal involving Michael Schumacher's stolen medical report.

French authorities traced the IP address of a figure called 'Kagemusha' who was offering confidential information about the Formula 1 legend's health after his skiing fall in December 2013 to media agencies for the equivalent of close to R750 000.

Reports said the IP was linked to a helicopter company in Switzerland.

SCHUMI'S FILE HANDED OVER

A company called Rega admitted that, as Schumacher's transfer from Grenoble to a Lausanne rehabilitation clinic was being arranged, it was contacted and Schumacher's medical file was passed on but the company, reportedly a major air ambulance operator in Switzerland, told AFP that it believed "patient confidentiality had been preserved".

Rega said it had "no knowledge of the investigation and had not been contacted by the authorities".

According to Swiss website 20min.ch, Rega spokesman Philipp Keller said: "Rega organised transport from Grenoble to Lausanne for a patient. As part of the organisation, a medical report was provided by the hospital in Grenoble."

Keller, however, said Rega only learned of the theft of Schumacher's records from the media.
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