The Swiss attorney general has announced criminal proceedings have been opened against FIFA president Sepp Blatter. The Swiss attorney general's office issued a statement saying Blatter is suspected of criminal mismanagement or misappropriation over a TV rights deal he signed with former Caribbean football chief Jack Warner in 2005.
He is also suspected of "a disloyal payment" of two million Swiss francs to UEFA president Michel Platini - who is the favourite to succeed him - in 2011.
A statement from the Swiss attorney general read: "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.
Mr. Joseph Blatter is suspected of a disloyal payment of CHF 2 Mio. to Michel Platini, President of Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), at the expense of FIFA, which was allegedly made for work performed between January 1999 and June 2002; this payment was executed in February 2011."
The news of the opening of the criminal proceedings emerged after FIFA had cancelled Blatter's press conference in Zurich on Friday afternoon.
Blatter was expected to face the media following the FIFA executive committee meeting, but the briefing was called off just minutes before it was set to take place.
It was later revealed that Blatter was interrogated following the FIFA executive committee meeting and that parts of FIFA's headquarters, including Blatter's office, had been searched.
A statement from FIFA read: "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."
No comments:
Post a Comment