Ex FIFA president Sepp Blatter And Former UEFA Chief Michel Platini are Facing Fraud Charges And Other Offences From Swiss Prosecutors.
Ex FIFA boss Sepp Blatter and his counterpart the Former
UEFA president Michel Platini are facing fraud and other offenses allegations
by the Swiss prosecutors on Tuesday, November 2 after a six-month-long
investigation into a controversial $2 Million payment.
As a result of these
charges, 65-year-old Platini and 85-year-old Blatter will now face a trial
within months at the federal criminal court in Bellinzona Switzerland. In a
statement from the Swiss Federal criminal court, the controversial $2 million
payment damaged FIFA assets and unlawfully enriched Platini.
The case from
September 2015 was what ousted Blatter ahead of schedule as FIFA president and
also ended the then UEFA president Platini`s campaign to succeed his former
mentor.
This case centers
on a written request Platini made to join FIFA in January 2011 that he should
be paid backdated additional salary for working as a presidential adviser in Blatter's first term from
1998-2002. Blatter authorized FIFA to
make the payment within weeks.
Blatter was preparing to campaign for
re-election in a major contest against Mohammed Bin Hammam of Qatar Where Platini`s
influence with European voters was a key factor.
The two have always denied wrongdoing citing
that a verbal agreement was made for the money to be paid.
Blatter charges include Fraud,
Mismanagement, Misappropriation of FIFA funds, and forgery of a document. Platini
has also faced similar charges ranging from fraud, misappropriation, forgery,
and acting as an accomplice to Blatter in this alleged mismanagement.
Platininwho is a French football legend was
not placed under any formal investigation until last year and after some months
more serious allegation of fraud has been brought against the two men.
Prosecutors had opened criminal proceedings
against Blatter in September 2015 ahead of a police raid at FIFA headquarters in
Zurich when both Platini and Blatter were in a meeting of the football body
executive committee.
