The Blatter-Platini case is about to know its legal outcome in Switzerland. The public prosecutor of the Swiss Confederation (MPC) indicted, Tuesday, November 2, the former Swiss president of the International Football Federation (FIFA), Sepp Blatter, 85, and the former boss of the Union of associations European football (UEFA), Michel Platini, 66, in the case of the alleged unfair payment of two million Swiss francs (1.8 million euros) made, in February 2011, by the first to the second.
The Swiss public prosecutor’s office announced the “Referral for judgment” of the two men before the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona in the context of a trial. The Swiss prosecution has filed an indictment against Mr. Blatter for “fraud, subsidiary breach of trust, even more subsidiary unfair management as well as false in the titles”. Mr. Platini is accused of “fraud, in the alternative of participation in breach of trust, even more in the alternative of participation in unfair management, as an accomplice, as well as of forgery in the titles”.
As the Swiss prosecutor’s office reminds us, “Between 1998 and 2002, Mr. Platini worked as a consultant for then FIFA President Mr. Blatter. In 1999, an annual remuneration of 300,000 Swiss francs was agreed for this consultancy activity, in a written contract, signed [en 1999] both by J. Blatter and M. Platini. The remuneration agreed within the framework of this contract was invoiced by Mr. Platini each time and fully paid by FIFA.. “
“ More than eight years after the end of his advisory activity, Mr. Platini asserted a claim of two million Swiss francs, develops the parquet. With the assistance of Mr Blatter, a corresponding payment was made by FIFA to Mr Platini in early 2011. Evidence gathered by the MPC reinforced the suspicion that this payment to Platini was made without merit. This payment damaged FIFA’s assets and provided Mr. Platini with illegitimate enrichment. “
Extended criminal procedure
“I’m not afraid to go to court and have nothing to reproach myself with, assure the World Sepp Blatter. This will give me the opportunity to tell the truth about this matter. “ “I am 100% sure that we will be able to prove Mr. Platini’s innocence in court “, reacts Me Dominic Nellen, lawyer for Mr. Platini.
Responsible for investigating criminal proceedings since 2019, federal prosecutor 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 re-election of Mr. Blatter, in June 2011, at the head of FIFA. The magistrate does not believe in the version given by MM. Blatter and Platini: they assure that this payment corresponded, by virtue of an “oral contract” sealed in 1998, to a remainder of wages paid to Mr. Platini for the period during which the Frenchman served as adviser to the president of the FIFA (1999-2002).
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