The "FIFagate", this myriad of criminal investigations and politico-financial scandals linked to the International Football Federation (FIFA), is experiencing a new twist. Saturday 13 June, the Public Prosecutor's Office of the Swiss Confederation (MPC) confirmed to World the opening of a new criminal investigation, in May, against the former Swiss president of FIFA, Sepp Blatter (1998-2015), his former French secretary general Jérôme Valcke (2007-2015), and the ex- financial director of the body (2003-2016), Markus Kattner.
The Swiss public prosecutor's office claims to have " extended criminal proceedings to other partial facts and allegations. »The trio is “Suspected of unfair management. "
Contacted by The world, Mr. Blatter, 84, says he has " took note of this reproach and completely refutes its content. Kattner declined to comment. As for Mr. Valcke and FIFA, they have not yet followed up.
According to the Associated Press (AP) agency, which is based on a judicial document, this new investigation aims at a " million dollar loan " (888,380 euros) paid from a FIFA account, April 13, 2010, to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation, then under the control of Jack Warner, former president of the Confederation of North and Central America (Concacaf). The latter was suspended for life by FIFA and charged with corruption by the American courts in 2015.
"Interest-free loan"
This loan " without interest or guarantee and later abandoned as a kind of gift ” is in the crosshairs of Swiss justice when Jack Warner, whose United States wants extradition from Trinidad, was accused in April by the federal prosecutor of Brooklyn of having received 5 million dollars to vote in favor of the Russian candidacy, in December 2010, during the 2018 World Cup award vote.
Warner is also accused by the US justice system of having sold his voice during the 2010 World Cup attribution vote to South Africa in exchange for a payment of 10 million dollars, which would have passed through FIFA.
This new investigation by the Swiss public prosecutor's office is being conducted as part of the criminal proceedings opened against Sepp Blatter in September 2015 for " suspicion of unfair management and breach of trust "
According to our information, the former Swiss boss of world football (1998-2015) was informed, on June 2, that the investigation targeting him since 2015 for a controversial television contract – signed in 2005 with the Caribbean Union of football (UCF), then headed by Mr. Warner – was closed by the MPC.
A section of the criminal proceedings against Mr. Blatter filed in May
The Swiss public prosecutor's office confirms the end of this part of the procedure “ in the partial field of facts and charges “Caribbean media rights / TV” in May 2020. " According to AP, prosecutor Thomas Hildebrand, who had decided to close the televised rights investigation, will oversee the new investigation into the controversial loan.
The ex-president of FIFA, 84, also maintains his status as accused in another case, the most media, still in the investigation phase: the alleged payment "Disloyal" the 2 million Swiss francs (1.8 million euros) he paid in February 2011 to Michel Platini, then president of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).
On September 14, Mr. Valcke will be tried by the Federal Criminal Court of Bellinzona for "Aggravated unfair management" and "Passive bribery" as part of the investigation into the 2014 rights to the 2026 and 2030 football World Cups for BeIN Media in the Middle East and North Africa region. President of Paris-Saint-Germain and director of BeIN, Qatari Nasser Al-Khelaifi must appear for "Instigation to unfair management In this same procedure.
The announcement of the opening of a new criminal investigation against Mr. Blatter comes as his successor at the head of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, is weakened by his informal meetings, in 2016 and 2017, with the Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber.
Three criminal complaints against Mr. Lauber and Mr. Infantino were lodged in May before the cantonal prosecutor's office in Bern. The two presidents of the Swiss Federal Assembly have asked the Supervisory Authority of the Swiss Public Prosecutor's Office to appoint an extraordinary prosecutor, who will have to determine whether the suspicions are sufficient to justify the opening of a criminal investigation.
