The Swiss Federal Prosecutor’s Office was in a deep sleep. Virtually nothing happened for almost five years. Joseph S. Blatter, former President of the FIFA Football Association, was led by Michael Lauber’s troops as a suspect. But Blatter has never been summoned for questioning over the years. He was only interviewed in September 2015 when the proceedings were opened in Zurich.
Now suddenly there is a lot of activity. According to research, Blatter has had three contingents from the federal prosecutor’s office. The former FIFA President is to testify three times within a month as an accused person. The following allegations:
Survey 1: Mysterious CHF 2 million for Michel Platini
About the 2 million francs that flowed from Fifa to Michel Platini in 2011, former French footballer and later consultant to Blatter. It’s about unfaithful business management, possibly embezzlement. Recently, Platini has also been listed as a suspect because of “assistance” and suspected forgery of documents.
Survey 2: On a loan of CHF 1 million to Trinidad and Tobago
A second survey concerns a procedure that is also directed against the former FIFA officials Markus Kattner and Jérôme Valcke. Blatter is said to testify for a loan of over a million to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFF).
Survey 3: On an expensive private flight in the amount of CHF 365,000
The third case concerns “Fifa’s 2007 US $ 365,000 private flight cost to Jack Warner”.
It was a pretty expensive private flight that the allegedly corrupt ex-FIFA Vice Warner was doing there. It reminds observers of a private flight that puts reigning FIFA boss Gianni Infantino in need of explanation. In 2017, he flew back to Switzerland from South America for a six-figure sum. According to the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, he served Fifa an invented reason for why he flew a charter instead of a line.
Why the federal prosecutor’s office suddenly becomes so active after five years of silence around Blatter is unclear. Turn around: Blatter, now 84 years old, is happy that the federal prosecutor’s office is finally moving forward. Finally he could defend himself and explain.
According to a spokesman, Michel Platini, 65, can also make no sense of the new Bern activism. Platini has also never been interviewed since September 2015.
In May 2018, Platini’s Geneva lawyer received a letter from the federal prosecutor’s office in which, according to the French newspaper “Le Monde”, it said: The trial of around 2 million was not against him. And: “We can confirm that your client will not be accused in the current proceedings.”
Now Platini is still a suspect. Hüst und Hott in the federal prosecutor’s office. The case against Blatter has been led by public prosecutor Thomas Hildbrand for some time. Platini received the Persilschein from Cédric Remund, the former head of proceedings.
Final goal panic among Lauber’s people?
A possible explanation for the new activity of the federal prosecutor is that after the flops in the football proceedings, they do everything they can to “get meat on their bones”, as one puts it. Or that the authority wants to demonstrate that it has done everything possible.
Others suspect that Gianni Infantino is the driver behind the new activities against his rivals Platini and Blatter. As is well known, Infantino and Federal Attorney Lauber met repeatedly earlier for secret meetings – what it was about is still unclear to this day.
An extraordinary federal prosecutor is currently examining whether criminal proceedings should be initiated in connection with the meetings. If so, Infantino’s days as FIFA boss would be numbered.
–
