Blatter and Platini cleared in FIFA graft case

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Motatins, Switzerland: Former FIFA president Sip Blatter and former Ufa chief Michelle Platini have long been acquitted by a Swiss court in a long -term corruption case, which gave her career the most powerful figure of global football.

89, Blatter, and 69 -year -old Platini heard quietly as an extraordinary court of the appeal clerk in the city of Mattenz, near Basel, in 2022 read a similar verdict, which initially cleared them.

The prosecutor requested a 20 -month suspended sentence for the pair, but allegations of fraud, for which they were in danger of five years in prison, as well as irrational administration, violation of confidence and fraud of the documents were excluded.

After almost 10 years of legal proceedings, the final appeal before the Swiss Supreme Court is still possible, but only on a limited legal basis. The prosecutor’s office said in a statement that it would “decide on moving forward”. “The persecution of FIFA and some Swiss federal prosecutors has now ended for 10 years,” Platini told reporters. “My honor is restored today, and I am very happy.”

Former French captain and manager, Platini, said he felt “from the beginning” that the purpose of the matter was to stop him from becoming “president of FIFA”. “I know that for my enemies, this was the time that was important … he kept me out for 10 years,” Platini added, the fall of Jiani Infantino in early 2016 as FIFA boss.

Blatter and Platini returned to court earlier this month, a 2 million Swiss francs given to Platini in 2011 for consulting services (1.8 million euros) on FIFA delayed allegations.

“After two bad, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office will also have to admit that the criminal method has failed completely,” said Platini’s lawyer Dominic Nailin. Michelle Platini should eventually be left alone in criminal cases.

The matter began in 2015 when Blatter quit working as FIFA chief in a corruption crisis. In June 2022, the Swiss Federal Criminal Court initially acquitted Bulter and Platini, but the Swiss Attorney General’s office immediately appealed for the decision.

The defense and prosecution agreed that Platini had advised Blator between 1998 and 2002 during the first term of the Swiss administrator under FIFA’s head, and that in 1999, the two men agreed to the agreement, agreeing on the annual compensation of 300,000 Swiss francs, so that FIFA was signed by FIFA.

Blatter and Platini said they initially agreed to the annual salary of a million Swiss francs, without verbally, and without witnesses, but FIFA’s financial state did not allow immediate payment. Blator called it a “contract of gentlemen”.

Prosecutor Thomas Hold Brand said the argument was incomprehensible. Even if FIFA had transferred a million Swiss francs to Platini in 1999, it would have “over 21 million francs cash”, and in 2002 its reserves had reached 328 million.

Without a written record, without witnesses and never to supply such money in accounts, he said, “contrary to trade practice” as well as FIFA principles.

In January 2011, “more than eight years after the elimination of his activity as an advisor”, Platini “borrowed 2 million Swiss francs”, which FIFA paid. Prosecutors argued that it was a “baseless” payment, which was obtained by the “cleverly misleading” internal controls by the false statements made by the two executives.

At that time, Blatter was contesting for re -election as FIFA president and Platini became the head of European football. Platini supported Blator in his successful bid for FIFA’s fourth term. FIFA’s Ethics Committee eventually banned both people from football.