The Swiss Public Prosecutor's Office’s Supervisory Authority (AS-MPC) dropped a bomb. A bomb which could reinforce the suspicions of collusion that hover over Gianni Infantino, the president of the International Football Federation (FIFA), and Swiss magistrates.
On Wednesday March 4, the supervisory body of the Swiss public prosecutor's office published a 48-page report (in German) after the disciplinary investigation against Attorney General Michael Lauber. In charge of the procedures in connection with the corruption scandals at FIFA since 2015, the boss of the MPC was found guilty “ for having violated several duties of office " by meeting informally and three times with the President of FIFA (civil party in these proceedings), in 2016 and 2017.
In its report, the AS-MPC indicates that a childhood friend of Mr. Infantino and first prosecutor of Haut-Valais, Rinaldo Arnold, " put down a day off To organize the first meeting of March 22, 2016 between Mr. Lauber and the boss of FIFA.
The rapporteurs insist on another meeting. Which took place on July 8, 2015, well before the election of Mr. Infantino as FIFA head in February 2016. On that day, Mr. Arnold was received by Mr. Lauber, in the presence of André Marty, spokesperson for the Swiss public prosecutor's office.
A version not considered "credible"
According to MM. Lauber and Marty, this July 2015 meeting was organized to discuss “General questions of criminal procedure. " However, this version has not been judged " credible By AS-MPC. The supervisory body claims that " FIFA procedures (opened in May 2015 by the MPC) have been mentioned During this July 2015 exchange. At the time, Mr. Infantino was secretary general of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), then chaired by Michel Platini.
The rapporteurs consider that Mr Arnold " pledged in favor of Mr. Infantino on a private basis " and esteem than " Infantino was considering a candidacy for the presidency of FIFA and had better inquire as to whether FIFA procedures (…) were directed against " of them “Direct competitors for the FIFA presidency " The identity of the two people mentioned is unknown since the AS-MPC has blackened their surnames, as it has done for several passages in the report.
