Yahoo – AFP,
Benjamin Simon, 25 Sep 2015
 |
FIFA
President Sepp Blatter (L) shakes hands with UEFA president Michel
Platini
after being re-elected following a vote in Zurich on May 29, 2015 (AFP
Photo/Michael Buholzer)
|
Zurich
(AFP) - The FIFA scandal on Friday engulfed Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini,
the two most powerful figures in world football, with Swiss prosecutors
investigating whether a two million dollar payment from Blatter to the French
legend was illegal.
Swiss
investigators opened criminal proceedings against FIFA president Blatter and
searched his office as they also quizzed UEFA counterpart Platini.
"Swiss
criminal proceedings against the President of FIFA, Mr. Joseph Blatter, have
been opened on September 24, 2015 on suspicion of criminal mismanagement...and
-– alternatively -– misappropriation," said a statement from Switzerland's
attorney general's office (OAG).
 |
Former FIFA
vice-president Jack Warner
arrives at the Port-of-Spain Magistrates
court for
the extradition hearing against
him, on September 25, 2015 (AFP Photo/
Alva
Viarruel)
|
The Swiss
prosecutor said that "the defendant Joseph Blatter" had been
questioned and "the office of the FIFA President has been searched and
data seized".
Blatter was
questioned as "a suspect". The statement added that Platini had been
questioned "as a person called upon to give information".
Platini,
60, has been head of UEFA since January 2007 which made him an automatic FIFA
vice-president.
Blatter's
lawyer Richard Cullen said in a statement that the FIFA boss was cooperating
with Swiss authorities and that a review of the evidence would show "no
mismanagement occurred".
Blatter
"is suspected of making a disloyal payment of 2.0 million Swiss francs
($2.04 million/1.8 million euros) to Michel Platini, president of Union of
European Football Associations (UEFA), at the expense of FIFA," the OAG
said.
The alleged
payment was made in February 2011 "for work performed between January 1999
and June 2002."
Later
Friday, Platini insisted the payment had been for "contractual" work
he had carried out.
"Concerning
the payment that was made to me, I wish to state that this amount relates to
work which I carried out under a contract with FIFA," said the UEFA boss.
"I was
pleased to have been able to clarify all matters relating to this with the
authorities."
 |
FIFA this
month suspended Blatter's right-hand man Jerome Valcke after he
was accused of
involvement in an accord to sell tickets for the 2014 World Cup
at inflated
prices (AFP Photo/Sebastien Bozon)
|
He added:
"I also made clear to the Swiss authorities that since I live in
Switzerland I am available to speak with them any time to clarify any matters
relating to the investigations."
Friday's
dramatic turn of events came after a press conference, that Blatter was
scheduled to give, was cancelled.
Platini is
a former Blatter ally who turned against the veteran Swiss sports baron over
the past 18 months as FIFA's troubles mounted.
The investigation
is also into Blatter's links with Jack Warner, a former FIFA vice-president now
at the centre of a US investigation.
The
attorney general said Blatter was suspected of making a deal "unfavourable
to FIFA" with the Caribbean Football Union, which Warner used as his power
base.
'Properly
prepared'
According
to Blatter's lawyer Cullen, who is based in Virginia, that contract was
"properly prepared and negotiated" by FIFA staff with responsibility
for such matters.
A Trinidad
court on Friday announced that it would rule on December 2 on whether Warner
should be extradited to the United States.
Warner is
one of 14 soccer officials and business executives charged by US prosecutors of
involvement in more than $150 million in bribes for football broadcasting and
marketing deals.
Nearly all
of the suspects are from central and South America. Until recent days, FIFA's
top leadership had escaped accusations flying around the world body, which
earns $5 billion from the World Cup.
Swiss
officials arrested seven FIFA officials, who are among the US suspects, on May
27 in Zurich just ahead of the world body's congress.
Blatter was
re-elected to a fifth term at the congress despite the storm but then announced
on June 4 that he would stand down.
Since then
FIFA has announced steps to make reforms but have been shaken by new corruption
claims.
 |
A TV crew
prepares to film in front of
the FIFA logo at the FIFA headquarters
on
September 25, 2015 in Zurich (AFP
Photo/Fabrice Coffrini)
|
Valcke
strongly denied the allegations but FIFA handed over emails from the suspended
secretary general that had been demanded by the Swiss attorney general.
He is also
under suspicion over what he knew about a $10 million payment from the South
African FA to an account controlled by Warner through FIFA in 2008.
US
prosecutors believe it was a bribe intended to get Caribbean support for South
Africa's bid for 2010 World Cup.
Swiss
prosecutors are also looking into FIFA's award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups
to Russia and Qatar, respectively. Both have strongly denied any wrongdoing in
their campaigns to secure the tournaments.
US attorney
general Loretta Lynch made it clear this month that her department's inquiry
was growing and more major charges could be expected.
Related Articles:
Brazil court freezes Neymar assets worth $47 mn - New
UEFA leaders tell Blatter to quit FIFA presidency
From Blatter to Webb: Key players in the #FIFA scandal pic.twitter.com/uzwQ09Eeum
— Agence France-Presse (@AFP) 25 september 2015
Related Articles:
Brazil court freezes Neymar assets worth $47 mn - New
UEFA leaders tell Blatter to quit FIFA presidency
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