Swiss prosecutors begin criminal proceeding against Sepp Blatter

The outgoing FIFA president Sepp Blatter, is now having his days with the Swiss prosecutors over allegation of bribery.

The Swiss authorities claimed that Sepp Blatter is suspected of making a “disloyal payment” of two millions Swiss francs — just over $2 million — to the UEFA President, Michel Platini.

Platini is, who is the leading candidate to replace Blatter as FIFA president has also been asked to provide information.

The Swiss Attorney General’s office says the suspected “disloyal payment” from Blatter to Platini was “executed in February 2011”.

FIFA said in a statement: “Since 27 May 2015, FIFA has been cooperating with the Office of the Swiss Attorney General (OAG) and has complied with all requests for documents, data and other information. We will continue this level of cooperation throughout the investigation.

“Today, at the home of Fifa, representatives from the Office of the Swiss Attorney General conducted interviews and gathered documents pursuant to its investigation. Fifa facilitated these interviews as part of our ongoing cooperation.

“We will have no further comment on the matter as it is an active investigation.”

As statement from Swiss attorney -general office said: “Swiss criminal proceedings against the President of FIFA, Mr. Joseph Blatter, have been opened on 24 September 2015 on suspicion of criminal mismanagement…and – alternatively – misappropriation.

“There is as suspicion that…Joseph Blatter also violated his fiduciary duties to FIFA in connection with a contract with the Caribbean Football Union”.

The world football ruling body has been enmeshed in bribery scandals that were revealed recently after the arrest and interrogation of some of the members.

US authorities have charged 14 FIFA officials and sports marketing executives of soliciting and receiving more than $150 million in bribes and kickbacks over two decades.

On July 23, US authorities asked for Warner, a former head of football’s governing body in North America, Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF) to be extradited to face the charges.

So far only three of those charged are in the jurisdiction of New York.

Warner and nine other defendants are still fighting extradition to the United States – six from Switzerland, where they were arrested in a May swoop on a Zurich hotel – two from Argentina and one from Uruguay.

Warner says that the US case against him is politically motivated and that America is trying to exact revenge because it lost out to Qatar in the vote to host the 2022 World Cup.

Credit : The Telegraph

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