At 85, the Swiss Sepp Blatter has not finished with the justice of his country. Despite a heavy heart operation undergone in December 2020, and problems ” of concentration ”, The former president of the International Football Federation (FIFA) is considered fit to appear before the public prosecutor of the Swiss Confederation (MPC) in the context of the criminal proceedings against him in September 2015.
According to our information, the various medical expertises and other neuropsychological examinations carried out at the request of the Swiss prosecution establish that Mr. Blatter is able to be heard at least two hours on August 9, in Zurich, by the federal prosecutor Thomas Hildebrand, in as part of a summons for “final hearings”.
“The final auditions with Joseph Blatter had to be postponed until August 2021 for health reasons, confirms the Swiss prosecution at World. The implementation of final hearings does not allow conclusions to be drawn as to the outcome of the criminal proceedings (classification, criminal order, indictment). “
“ We must move forward now, it is now or never to explain everything again ”, at reacted Mr. Blatter.
Towards a Platini-Blatter trial?
Continued for “Suspicion of fraud, breach of trust and unfair management”, the former boss of world football (1998-2015) was heard four times by the MPC within the framework of this open procedure, in particular because of an alleged unfair payment of two million Swiss francs (1.8 million euros) from Mr Blatter to the former President of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), Michel Platini, in February 2011.
Continued since 2020 for “Suspicion of fraud, participation in breach of trust, participation in unfair management, and forgery in securities”, the former number 10 of the Blues is still not fixed on his fate. Heard one last time in March, the Frenchman has not yet been officially notified by prosecutor Hildebrand of the filing of an indictment against him.
However, it is highly probable that MM. Platini and Blatter ultimately appear before the Swiss Federal Criminal Court (TPF) of Bellinzona, during a trial, insofar as Mr. Hildebrand questions the explanation given by the two men regarding this payment.
The tandem has always said that this payment was made by virtue of a balance of salaries for the period (1998-2002) during which the French served as adviser to the president of FIFA. Responsible for investigating the case of the two million since 2019, Thomas Hildebrand suspects the two men of having lied to those around them as to the reason for this payment, made a few months before the election to the presidency of FIFA in 2011.
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