FIFA: Blatter and Platini accused of fraud by the Swiss Prosecutor’s Office

Former UEFA president Michel Platini and Swiss ex-FIFA president Joseph Blatter have been charged in Switzerland with several crimes, including the offense of “fraud”, in the alleged payment case that since 2015 has placed them outside the governing bodies of world football, The Swiss Prosecutor’s Office announced on Tuesday.

Will now comply with the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona Validate this indictment and determine whether an operation will be carried out against the two former leadersThey were also prosecuted on charges of “unfair administration”, “breach of trust” and “lies”.

After six years of investigation, they were accused of “unlawfully agreeing to pay two million Swiss francs from FIFA” (€1.9 million, $2.2 million), “in favor of Michel Platini,” the Confederate Prosecutor’s Office wrote in a statement.

The French triple Golden Ball was an advisor to Joseph Blatter between 1998 and 2002, in his first term in FIFA, According to a written contract signed in 1999, he agreed to an annual bonus of 300,000 Swiss francs ($328,500, €283,750), “with an invoice from Mr. Platini And pay it in full FIFA“.

In 2011, “more than eight years after the end of his activities as manager,” the former Bleus captain asserted “a debt of 2 million Swiss francs,” which the football team had paid “with the help” of Joseph Blatter, and was judged by the prosecution “unfounded.”

The two men repeat since the beginning of the investigation that they orally decided an annual salary of 1 million Swiss francs ($1.1 million, 945,000 euros), for this advisory work, without FIFA’s finances allowing Platini to be paid at the time, which was paid late.

Fraud can result in up to five years in prison (or a monetary penalty) in Swiss law.

JL