Swiss prosecutors have charged former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and former UEFA president Michel Platini with multiple offenses.
Following a six-year investigation, Swiss officials have charged Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini with fraud and other offenses.
The Swiss officials initiated the investigations over a payment of two million Swiss Francs from FIFA to Platini. Blatter, 85, and former France international Platini, 65, could face trial over the next few months.
“This payment damaged FIFA’s assets and unlawfully enriched Platini,” Swiss federal prosecutors said in a statement.
The two former FIFA officials have denied wrongdoing, claiming the agreement over the transaction dates back to 20 years ago.
Blatter’s other alleged offenses include mismanagement, misappropriation of FIFA funds and forgery of a document.
However, this is not Blatter’s only legal case. The former president is also facing prosecution for a FIFA payment of $1 million to Trinidad and Tobago in 2010.
“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 said in a statement.
“Regarding the payment of the sum of two million francs from Fifa to Michel Platini, I can only repeat myself: It was based on an oral contract that regulated Platini’s advisory activities for FIFA between 1998 and 2002,” he added.
In Switzerland, Fraud charges can result in jail sentences of up to five years.
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