Former FIFA officials, Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini, have been charged with fraud and other offenses by Swiss prosecutors on Tuesday after a six-year investigation.
The investigation is regarding the controversial $2 million payment Platini received from FIFA. Blatter and Platini now face a trial at the federal criminal court in Bellinzona, Switzerland. If proven guilty, they could face several years in prison.
“This payment damaged FIFA’s assets and unlawfully enriched Platini,” Swiss federal prosecutors stated.
The case started in September 2015 and forced Blatter out ahead of schedule as FIFA president, and it also ended Platini’s campaign to succeed his former mentor. It centers on Platini’s written request to FIFA in January 2011 to be paid a backdated additional salary for working as a presidential adviser in Blatter’s first term, from 1998-2002.
“The evidence gathered by the attorney general’s office has corroborated that this payment to Platini was made without a legal basis,” prosecutors said.
Blatter told FIFA to make the payment within weeks. He was preparing to campaign for re-election in a contest against Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar, where Platini’s influence with European voters was seen as a key factor.
Blatter has been charged with fraud, mismanagement, misappropriation of FIFA funds and forgery of a document. Platini has been charged with fraud, misappropriation, forgery and as an accomplice to Blatter’s alleged mismanagement.
Both Blatter and Platini have long denied wrongdoing and cited a verbal agreement they had made, now more than 20 years ago, for the money to be paid.
“I view the proceedings at the federal criminal court with optimism — and hope that, with this, this story will come to an end and all the facts will be worked through cleanly,” Blatter stated.
Platini was not placed under formal investigation until last year, and months later the more serious allegation of fraud was included against both men.
