War is brewing between the president of the International Football Federation (FIFA), Gianni Infantino, and his predecessor Sepp Blatter (1998-2015), 84 years old. Saturday, May 2, the body told the World she has " submitted official requests to the Public Prosecutor's Office of the Swiss Confederation strongly insisting " so that the criminal investigation against his former leader " continues "
April 10, The world had revealed that the Swiss public prosecutor's office had announced in March, by mail, to Mr. Blatter, his will to classify one of the two aspects of the criminal proceedings opened against him, in September 2015, for "suspicions of unfair management and abuse of confidence ".
This investigation concerns the signing, in 2005, by Mr. Blatter of a “Unfavorable contract with FIFA” – and terminated by the Federation in 2011 – which granted the television rights for the 2010 and 2014 Worlds to the Caribbean Football Union (UCF), then led by the Trinidadian Jack Warner, suspended for life by FIFA and charged with corruption by justice American.
Wednesday April 29, the business was relaunched when the Associated Press agency reported a report for the Swiss police, whose conclusions indicate "Clearly that suspicion (unfair management and breach of trust) of the MPC against Mr. Blatter in 2015 were well founded ".
In the summary of this report, to which The world has had access, the federal police have accused Mr. Blatter "For having accepted that Mr. Warner is illicitly enriched at the expense of FIFA" notably by canceling, in 2011, a debt of 3.78 million dollars from the Caribbean Union, to the prejudice of FIFA.
Sepp Blatter: "I trust Swiss justice, therefore the MPC"
On Thursday, April 30, the MPC indicated, in essence, to World that the prosecutor had taken into account this police report during his investigation and that " the criminal authorities must examine the aggravating and mitigating circumstances with the same care ”. FIt should be remembered that the magistrate weighed the pros and cons before announcing his intention to close the investigation.
" In this imbroglio, I trust the Swiss justice, therefore the MPC ", Assures the World Sepp Blatter. FIFA, for its part, warns that it " will review all legal options to ensure that those affected are accountable. "
This passing of arms is the umpteenth episode of a hidden conflict between the octogenarian, suspended until 2021 by the ethics committee of FIFA, and his successor, elected in 2016. The cloth burns between the two men since that FIFA, through the American law firm Quinn Emanuel, accused in June 2016, Mr. Blatter, and his two lieutenants of having shared 80 million dollars (72 million euros), from 2011 to 2015, " by annual salary increases, World Cup bonuses and other benefits. "
Serial complaints
In May 2019, Mr. Blatter announced that he would file a complaint " in the first place " against Mr. Infantino and " eventually " against FIFA. The former boss of the round ball criticized the organization in particular for not having returned his collection of watches to him and for having communicated around a bonus of 12 million Swiss francs (10.5 million euros) that 'he swears he didn't touch after the 2014 World Cup.
In December 2019, FIFA indicated that it had lodged a complaint, before the civil justice system, against Mr. Blatter and Michel Platini, former president of the Union of European Associations, to obtain reimbursement of the 2 million Swiss francs ( 1.8 million) that the first paid – so undue "According to FIFA – the second, in 2011, on a salary balance.
This payment means that Mr. Blatter has been the subject of criminal proceedings since September 2015. Heard as an assisted witness, Mr. Platini was exonerated by a letter from the Swiss prosecution in May 2018.
The confrontation between Mr. Infantino and his predecessor has taken on a more political dimension since, according to information from the World, the rapporteurs of the Supervisory Authority of the Swiss Prosecutor's Office estimated, in a disciplinary report published in March, that a magistrate friend of Mr. Infantino sought, on behalf of the latter, in July 2015, to glean from the prosecutor General Michael Lauber of judicial information concerning … MM. Blatter and Platini.
According to several sources close to FIFA, the Federation's refusal to see the investigation of Mr. Blatter closed, could also be explained by the uncomfortable situation in which Mr. Infantino, suspected of collusion with the MPC, finds himself.
The latter is weakened by the case of his informal meetings, in 2016 and 2017, with Mr. Lauber. " Restarting the Blatter procedure, this could be a way for Mr. Infantino to show zealously FIFA's concern for cooperation and that would help him in his defense in the ongoing Lauber affair Says a FIFA connoisseur.
Sanctioned by a salary drop following a disciplinary investigation against him, Mr. Lauber is currently defended by the same lawyer as that of… Sepp Blatter, Me Lorenz Erni.
